Anyone like their darts with a slice of Razmatazz? Great, then have I got the perfect exclusive for you.
Madars Razma is undoubtedly one of the most charismatic – and indeed, most Latvian – players on the circuit. Yes, he may not have picked up a major title or have a trophy cabinet containing more silverware than a Magpies storage unit. But on his day, which is often, he is amongst the most talented throwers on the circuit.
A World Cup quarter-finalist, three-time Players Championship runner-up and twice a Euro Tour semi-finalist are all fantastic returns. Yet that still doesn’t completely highlight just what Madars has done for the game in his snow-filled region of origin.
Somehow, Latvia’s number one has quietly become one of the most respected players on the circuit. Never the loudest. Never the flashiest – although he does enjoy the odd exuberant on-stage celebration when the occasion warrants it. Just consistently very, very good. Which, in modern society, is almost suspicious. If you aren’t shouting about yourself every five minutes on social media, people assume you’ve retired to become an alpaca farmer.
Before my chat with the high-altitude-levelled Latvian, I decided to have a look at what your average bloke from there enjoys doing sports-wise. It turns out ice hockey and basketball are the joint two most popular. They’re also big into bobsleigh and basically anything that involves sliding around on ice. No real surprises, as it’s bloody freezing over there. Even the brass monkey statues are fully decked out in Helly Hansen’s latest winter collection.
Now let’s crack on and find out more about the Baltic star. First things first, let’s find out a little more about Madars the person.
“I am married and have two lovely sons.”
That will do. Nice, easy, yet brief start. Cards close to the chest I see. Interesting.
Professional career wise, the Baltic flinger is approaching a decade on the PDC Pro Tour – in itself a fine achievement, as that trap door often looms for many – I wanted to know what Mr Razma put that impressive longevity down to. And it wasn’t purely down to a spot of rupjmaize to kick-start the day. Although that rich, hearty, dairy-rich and savoury dish undoubtedly helps.
“There have been many moments in those past ten years when I wanted to say, ‘I’m done!’. But I’m very glad that, in the end, I was ready to wait, learn and gain experience, which helps me a lot today against new players who don’t have the experience I have.”
Ten years without quitting. That’s remarkable commitment. Most people threaten to hand in their notice after the office coffee machine breaks down. Madars stuck around while trying to beat the best darts players on Earth. Different levels of patience entirely.
Onto something closer to home now, and I asked him how he rates the talent in the Nordic & Baltic region.
“We should be happy for every new player on the tour, but right now we can see that most of the leading positions are held by experienced players. But I think, overall, there are a lot of quality players in the region.”
It does feel a little like Scandinavian darts. Quiet. Efficient. Doesn’t make much fuss. Probably assembles itself using an Allen key before politely averaging 98.
But aside from Lithuanian Darius Labanauskas, why does he think there are not many players from that region breaking into the professional scene?
“One of the reasons could be the high cost of living. The PDC calendar is very tight right now, plus the PDC Nordic & Baltic tournaments. Players have to miss work, but there is no guarantee that they will be able to earn enough in PDC tournaments. Darius and I have a much different situation because we live in cheaper countries.”
People often assume becoming a professional darts player from that neck of the woods simply involves buying a board from Argos and growing a beard. Sadly, accountants insist on ruining the dream with things like mortgages, rent and electricity bills. Apparently landlords don’t accept a 180 as payment. More’s the pity. They’d owe Madars money if that were the case.
I then moved on to his achievements.
You’ve reached three finals and three semi-finals on the Pro Tour, plus two Euro Tour semi-finals. Given your excellent ability, would you say you have under-achieved?
“I remember very well the first semi-final of the European Tour and all the finals of the Players Championship because each of these tournaments has its own special story. Of course, I can’t forget the World Grand Prix quarter-final and my World Matchplay debut also.”
Under-achieved? Possibly not. Professional darts nowadays is about as forgiving as trying to cuddle an angry crocodile wearing boxing gloves. Every event feels like a plethora of world-class players have simultaneously decided today is the day they’ll average 107.
So, do you think anyone from the Nordic & Baltic area, despite their PDC ranking, should still be able to compete?
“I would like to play in the PDC Nordic & Baltic Tour again. As I said, there are good players and there would be quality games. Since I’m not allowed to play in the PDC Nordic & Baltic tournaments, I’ve started playing in local tournaments in Latvia. The sparring partners are not as strong as I would like to see, but it’s still better than nothing. The downside would be travelling to the Pro Tour events on Sunday nights.”
It does seem slightly ironic. You’re too good to play where you came from, yet still want to support the region that helped get you there. That’s a bit like your mum refusing to let you visit home because you’ve become better than her at cooking the Sunday roast dinner. Harsh.
Onto the Euro Tour stage now, and I wanted Madars’ opinion on why he thinks the Baltic region has yet to have a Euro Tour event.
“I’m 99% sure that everything is a problem with the arena and costs. The World Series tournaments in Copenhagen have already proven that the PDC can organise great tournaments in the region. A second tournament in Denmark would be too much, but I would like to see a European Tour in Sweden because there are many quality local players.”
Costs. It’s always costs. Somewhere, there’ll be a bloke in a suit looking at a spreadsheet deciding whether thousands of darts fans can have a brilliant weekend. The world’s least popular superhero: Budget Man.
If it did happen, though – and hopefully it will – would the people of those nations support and welcome it?
“I’m 100% sure that they would like to see the PDC European Tour in any of the Nordic & Baltic countries.”
Given half of Europe seems willing to travel anywhere for darts these days, you could probably stage one on the moon and someone from Budapest would already have booked the flights.
I then asked Razmatazz – which, I must say, is fast becoming one of my favourite nicknames – how proud he was of how Latvia performed in the World Cup, and what was behind the decision not to throw first in some matches.
“Needless to say that after the tournament we were both proud of what we did in the World Cup. I have to agree with others that we were a little bit lucky with the draw and the opponents, but the last game was something like wow! I still have mixed feelings. If they would give us another chance… But it is what it is, and we need to take positive emotions into future tournaments.
“We agreed before the tournament that I would be the second player in all our games. There are at least three or four reasons for this, but I don’t want to reveal them.”
I have to admit, and most of the PDC.TV pundits were with me on this, I couldn’t work out why Razma decided to chuck second in the World Cup. Perhaps we shall never know. Some Pandora’s Boxes are, quite frankly, best kept sealed. I didn’t probe any further and duly moved on.
What would constitute a good end to the year for you? And what are your ambitions over the next few years?
“Every year I set myself a goal in the rankings – to be higher than the previous season. This year I have to defend a lot of points at the World Championship, but I hope I will be ready to do it. I have never played in the Grand Slam of Darts and I would really like to qualify for it. Anyway, I look at everything positively!”
Clearly. Which is admirable, and positivity personified alright. There’s something refreshingly understated about Razma. No outrageous predictions. No claiming he’ll dominate the world. No announcing he’s about to become the greatest player since sliced tungsten.
Personally, he could have said winning the PDC World Championship and a free loyalty card for whatever Latvia’s answer to Burger King is. But he didn’t. Instead, Madars gave a much more sensible answer, one which largely involves quiet determination.
After ten years on tour, perhaps that’s exactly why he’s still here. While everyone else is busy shouting, Madars just keeps throwing darts. And throwing them exceptionally well. Judging by the last decade, that’s working out rather nicely.
I’ll be honest, I don’t know many Latvian folk. In fact, I know two. And I have to say, both are absolute gentlemen. The other is a bloke in my local who hails from Riga. Given everything I’ve heard about that beautiful city, it did make me wonder what the hell he was doing in Warrington. Then his wife walked in… and it all suddenly made perfect sense.
Thank you very much for your time, mate. Hugely appreciated. Everyone at Bang On Target – which is essentially just me and my mum, who makes me cups of coffee periodically – wishes you every success this season and for the future.
