Darts World Cup: tears in “Ally Pally”

Diogo Portela bursts into tears after his first victory at a Darts World Cup. “This lockdown wasn’t good for me. I’ve lost so many people, ”said Portela.

Diogo Portela was completely exhausted. After his first victory at a World Darts Championship, the 32-year-old Brazilian burst into tears on Tuesday evening on the Alexandra Palace stage. “My private life was a nightmare. This lockdown wasn’t good for me. I’ve lost so many people, ”Portela said in an interview with Sky Sports after beating English veteran Steve Beaton 3-0. Tears came back to him at the microphone too.

“I’ve been thinking about quitting darts,” Portela described the circumstances that made the Corona year 2020 particularly difficult for him. “That was a victory for myself and for no one else,” he said after the surprise coup in front of almost 1000 fans in north London. “I can still keep up.”

The South American had been kicked out in the first lap for the past three years. Now he meets England’s fellow favorites Glen Durrant in the second round.