Jong (right) and Rosidy showing the mock passes for the champion team to take part in the POL Finale in Kuala Lumpur.
KUCHING: The inaugural Phoenix Official League (POL) Knockout Sarawak took place at an entertainment outlet at Jalan Sekama here recently.
POL is a popular electronic darts game in Kuala Lumpur which is gradually gaining popularity among locals here.
According to event organiser PD Event Company director Donny Jong, the champion of the first POL Knockout Sarawak will represent the state to compete in the POL Finale in Kuala Lumpur from June 10 to 11.
“There are two seasons a year for POL. PD Event Company aims to bring the second season of the year to Sarawak on a larger scale in August.
“While the champion for the Sarawak knockout stage will represent Sarawak in the final in Kuala Lumpur, the champion for the final will represent Malaysia in the Summer Festival to be held in Seoul in July,” he said when met at the entertainment outlet here yesterday.
Jong said POL was a team competition, with each team made up of at least three members.
He said PD Event Company was an agent of PD Sports (M) Sdn Bhd for Sarawak, while the latter was one of the two agents organising POL in the country.
In Kuching alone, he said there were at least 100 serious darters.
He said PD Event Company is also in the midst of unearthing new darters rather than seeing the same group of darters during events organised.
“We are trying to do more events to create awareness of electronic darts among the people. We encourage people to try it out on the practice option from the machine.
“They can then get a membership card and from there, they may have the urge to play. The machines rate your standard and darters can improve their skills and become a professional darter one day,” said Jong.
He said Sarawakian Rosidy Puasa used to be among the top 100 darters in the world.
“He is well-known in Peninsular Malaysia. Although he is a Sarawakian, he has long-moved to Kuala Lumpur,” added Jong.
Rosidy, who is a darts instructor with PD Sports (M) Sdn Bhd, said electronic darts game had been popular in South Korea and Japan for years but only started to grow popular in Malaysia about six years ago.
He believed that individuals who had a chance to learn about darts would fall in love with the game.
“Darts is not just about making friends, but darters need to learn to discipline themselves. Darts is all about discipline and art. Every dart is meaningful as in how you throw the dart.
“The way you throw the dart shows whether you’re clumsy or fussy because the dart has a character and we know who you are from the way you throw the dart,” said Rosidy, who used to be a member of the Malaysia national team widely known as Madhouse.
“People may not know the Malaysia national team but among the darters, they know for sure Madhouse, the legendary team,” he quipped.
According to Rosidy, darters in Malaysia will also be taking part in another world event to be held in Guangzhou, China in November this year.
For Sarawak, he said PD Event Company would expand to engage darters from Limbang, Bintulu, Miri, Sibu, Sarikei apart from Kuching for the second season this year.