MENSUR SULJOVIC has blasted Premier League Darts stars for opting out of smaller tournaments in favour of exhibition appearances.
Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Stephen Bunting and Gerwyn Price are all missing this weekend’s Austrian Darts Open in Graz, despite competing on stage in Leeds just days earlier during the Premier League.
Instead of taking time off, the quartet are cashing in on exhibition events in Middlesbrough, Leicester and Colchester.
Teen sensation Littler, 19, has featured in only two of the six EuroTour events so far this year, although he did triumph at the season-opening Poland Darts Open in Krakow.
With the relentless demands of the weekly Premier League schedule — which continues in Birmingham on Thursday — many of the sport’s top names are increasingly trying to balance their workload.
However, there has also been a noticeable rise in leading stars skipping the behind-closed-doors Players Championship events in the UK, tournaments viewed as crucial for lower-ranked Tour Card holders trying to climb the rankings.
Suljovic, 54, launched a furious rant over the growing number of high-profile withdrawals and believes the PDC must take action.
The Austrian veteran argued that the absence of elite players is damaging the integrity of the world rankings.
Speaking to Darts News, Suljovic said: “I don’t like the Players Championship format because, due to the Premier League, the best players don’t come.
“There’s a different winner every time and, unfortunately, it’s ruining the rankings. We need a shorter calendar, but the PDC isn’t doing anything about it.
“Our rankings are suffering because of this. The top players have to be there. They absolutely have to be.
“The European Tour and the major events are some of the most important tournaments, and now nobody is showing up. What’s the point?
“With the Players Championships, okay, somebody can withdraw. But not the European Tour. Luke Littler isn’t coming to any tournament and that’s just not right.
“We travel to England and the top players don’t play the Players Championships — how is that possible?
“I can win it. That shouldn’t happen.
“Back in 2017 and 2018, the top 16 players always won. Now everything has become extreme.
“As a result, the rankings are constantly changing. One week this player is on top, the next week it’s someone else. I don’t accept that. The PDC needs to do something.”
The PDC insists it is “proud to offer a comprehensive global schedule which provides players with a wide range of playing and earning opportunities throughout the year”.
The governing body added: “Ultimately, it is up to individual players to decide how they manage their schedules and which events they choose to enter.”
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