Double-Dip Glory for the Guyanese in Costa Rica

2023 World Cup of Darts pair, Norman Madhoo and Sudesh Fitzgerald, each claimed a title as they stormed through the field in Costa Rica at the inaugural weekend on the Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean (CDLC) Tour.

Friday’s action saw Madhoo barely breaking a sweat – dropping only 11 legs all day and never more than three in a match – as he claimed the first title in CDLC Tour history. “The Storm” was brilliant from the start, firing in 3 180s in his first match, dispatching Jonathan Quiros 6-1 with what was his highest match average for the day. From there, the Guyanese man produced wins of 6-3, 6-2 and 6-2 to set up a finals tie with his World Cup teammate in what appeared to be a match for the highlight reels.

Unfortunately for Sudesh, he never seemed to get comfortable in the final as his scoring deserted him at critical moments. After the pair traded the opening legs, Madhoo produced finishes in 19 and 17 darts to take a 3-1 lead, which he would never relinquish despite encountering scoring problems of his own in legs five and six. With the scoreline sitting at 5-3, Norman fired in a 14 darter, checking 80 in two darts to seal the victory.

Sunday was a different story, however. As the dust settled on CDLC Weekend 1, it was Sudesh as the man left standing as CDLC Event #2 Champion. It was not an easy road, however, as Fitzgerald survived back-to-back last leg deciders – a revenge match in the round-of-32 against Madhoo and then in the last-16 against Argentinian star, Jesus Salate – before going into cruise control. Sudesh bested Guillermo Soto 6-3 in the semis and dropped only two legs in the final to former Costa Rican national champion, Alex Gutierrez, to claim the title.

CDLC is the regional affiliate of North America’s Championship Darts Corporation and is dedicated to elevating the level of play and professionalism in darts across Latin America and the Caribbean. The action returns in Santiago, Chilé, October 13-15 at the Hotel Torremayor. At the conclusion of that weekend (which will mark the first time in history that a Professional Darts Corporation-affiliated event will be staged in a South American country other than Brazil), the top player on the 2023 CDLC Tour Points list will earn a berth in the PDC PaddyPower World Darts Championship to be held at the Alexandra Palace, London in December.