The victories were won by the ranking leader Valters Melderis and the number one Lithuanian Ieva Tvaronavičiūte. Ralfs Laumanis and Marta Roga, who achieved excellent success in the international arena this year, remained unbeaten in the youth groups, Tomas Kalniņš won the first place for the juniors, and Aigars Strēlis/Kristaps Mickus and Iluta Jansone/Amanda Kirilova were the winners of the pairs.
After a break of several years, the Riga Championship in darts was restored, where a very large number of participants took part this year – around 200 dart throwers. Our southern neighbors, the Lithuanians, had also come to us, among whom there were also some very skillful players. However, among the representatives of Latvia there were also several masters of darts who stood out with good results.
In the men’s competition of the “WINMAU Latvian Darts Premier League”, a total of 126 participants competed in both divisions – 24 in the strongest A and 102 in the B division, while 28 dart throwers participated in the women’s competition. “Prodarts.lv” youth and juniors had 16 boys, six girls and eight juniors competing.
Valters Melderis won the A division for the second time this year, who remained undefeated in the Jēkabpils Cup in April and had reached the finals three times in Latvian ranking tournaments, winning second places. In the first two elimination rounds in this tournament, Melderis, who showed great performance, defeated Jānis with 6:0 Upeniek and 6:1 this year’s vice-champion Kupši. In the semi-finals, Valters did not leave any hope to Aigars Strēlis 6-0, but in the final he beat Jānis Pinkas, who played the best tournament of his life, 7-4, for whom it was the first final and also the first prize at the highest level.
Melderis showed a world-class performance in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, reaching an average of 94 and 96 points. On the other hand, Pinka, who played most of the year and also won a few times at the B level, turned out to be Melder’s fiercest competitor in the end. In the elimination rounds, Pinka first defeated Latvian championship bronze medalist Edgars Ziemulis with 6:3, then with the same score of 6:1, he beat two young players – Roberta Buļko in the quarter-finals and Ralf Laumanis, the leader of the youth group, in the semi-finals, who then took shared third place with Aigars Strēli. Strelis made a great comeback from 1:4 against Arun Sakalauska in the quarterfinals, defeating the Lithuanian second number 6:5 in the end. The B division was won by Oskar Kuzmans, who beat Edgars Simaško 5-4 in a very equal duel in the final, who did not use several match arrows.
For women, the success of last year’s Bellevue Latvian Cup and this year’s Skaistkalnes Cup was repeated by the Lithuanian ranking leader Ieva Tvaronavičiūte, who beat Diana Grabčikas 4:1 in the quarter-finals and the young Marta Roga with the same result in the semi-finals, although the semi-final battle was relatively similar, as Marta’s two legs the Lithuanian lost in a very similar battle, in the end not taking advantage of opportunities to finish the game.
In the final, Marija Ružāne, ranked 3rd in Latvia, managed to take three legs from her southern neighbor, but Tvaronavičiūtė was superior with 5:3, showing an average performance above 60. Despite this, Ružāne’s second place and the first final of this year.
Roga, who won bronze in the adult championship, entered the top three for the third time this year, and the finalist of the Vecpiebalga Cup Ilze Ozola did the same, losing to Ružana 2:4 in the semi-finals.
Ralfs Laumanis, who qualified for the world championship, won for the youth U18, but
the main favorite was seriously shaken in the quarter-finals by Rihards Klints, who reached the final in the Ludza Cup a month ago, who showed a very good performance and won the first two legs and was one leg away from the semi-finals. With an excellent performance in the third leg (average 93.94 points), Ralf changed the course of the battle, winning the fourth and fifth legs with a more modest performance.
In the second semi-final, two participants of the European Youth Cup met, where Roberts Bulko beat Dominik Tabor, who had won the first two legs, 3:2 in an intense fight. In the final, Latvian youth champion Laumanis, despite a colossal second leg (average 100.2 points), was behind with 1:2, but then took three legs in a row and became the winner for the seventh time this year. Bulko is in second place for the second time, while Tabor is sixth, and Jēkab Mālnieks is in the top three for the second time this year.
For the young women, the two participants of the European Cup, Marta Roga and Amanda Kirilova, met in the final, who had defeated Alisa Janvāri and Ester Elberti 3-0 in the semi-final. Kirilova took the first leg with great accuracy (75.15), but then Roga took four in a row. Thus, this year’s youth national champion Marta Roga, who won Latvia’s first European Youth Cup medal, also won the capital’s championship. Meanwhile, national championship bronze medalist Kirilova, who was ahead of Roga in the last three tournaments, finished second.
For the U15 juniors, Tomas Kalniņš and Ernests Buļko reached the final, who had defeated the bronze medalist of the youth championship, Pēteri Sniega-Sniedziņu, and the junior champion, Jēkab Mālniek, respectively, in the semi-final with 3:2. In the final, Kalniņš, who had previously lost 0:2 in the semi-final, did not give his opponent such a chance, defeating Buļko the younger with 3:1 and winning his fourth victory this year, while Ernests took second place in the third cup tournament in a row.
In the men’s doubles competition, in the very intense final, Aigars Strēlis/Kristaps Mickus beat the Lithuanians with 4:3, Strēlis getting the second prize, while in the women’s pair Iluta Jansone/Amanda Kirilova won the individual ranking leader Ieva Brikmani-Buklovska with Sandija Anderson with 4:0, Kirilova earning second prize. The women’s final was more similar than the result suggests.
The final ranking competition of this season “Bellevue Latvijas Kauss 2024” will be held on November 23 and 24 at the same “Bellevue Park Hotel Riga” hotel.
Interview between the Time.news Editor and Darts Expert Dr. Andris Kalniņš
Time.news Editor: Good day, Dr. Kalniņš! Thank you for joining us to discuss the recent successes in the Riga Championship for darts. It’s exciting to see the return of such a competitive event here in Latvia!
Dr. Andris Kalniņš: Good day! Thank you for having me. Yes, it truly is refreshing to see the Riga Championship back in action after several years. The buzz among darts enthusiasts has definitely been palpable.
Editor: This championship hosted around 200 participants, including a significant Lithuanian contingent. What does this tell us about the current state of darts in the Baltic region?
Dr. Kalniņš: It highlights the growing popularity and competitiveness of darts in our regions. Lithuania has strong players, and this competition fosters healthy rivalry, which ultimately raises the standard for everyone involved. It’s a great way for players to test their skills against the best.
Editor: Valters Melderis achieved an impressive victory in the A division with a remarkable performance throughout the tournament. Could you share your thoughts on his journey during the championship?
Dr. Kalniņš: Valters is certainly a remarkable talent. His undefeated streak at the Jēkabpils Cup earlier this year seemed to bolster his confidence, and it showed. The way he outperformed his opponents, especially Jānis Pinkas in the finals, speaks volumes about his mental toughness and skill. An average score of 94 in the quarter-finals and 96 in the semi-finals is truly impressive.
Editor: Speaking of Jānis Pinkas, he played exceptionally well and reached his first final. What does his performance indicate for the future of darts in Latvia?
Dr. Kalniņš: Jānis’s rise is a testament to his hard work and potential. Competing in the final, especially against someone as seasoned as Valters, will be a significant learning experience for him. His ability to defeat established players to reach the final indicates that he may well be a strong contender in future tournaments.
Editor: Shifting gears to the women’s division, Ieva Tvaronavičiūte continued her dominance by winning the tournament. How does her performance compare to her previous accomplishments?
Dr. Kalniņš: Ieva’s consistency is remarkable. Winning the Bellevue Latvian Cup last year and now the Riga Championship shows not just talent but also dedication to her sport. Her ability to maintain an average performance above 60 and compete effectively in high-pressure situations are indicators of her being a top player in the region.
Editor: Let’s not forget the youth categories! Could you elaborate on the performance of Ralfs Laumanis, who continues to shine at such a young age?
Dr. Kalniņš: Ralfs is an exciting prospect for Latvian darts. His recent victory in the U18 category, while facing significant challenges, highlights his resilience and skill. The fact that he turned around a potential upset in the quarter-finals shows tremendous composure for someone his age. He is undoubtedly one to watch as he continues to develop.
Editor: What do you think the future holds for darts in Latvia? With talents like Melderis, Tvaronavičiūte, and Laumanis emerging, can we anticipate greater recognition on the international stage?
Dr. Kalniņš: Absolutely! With these talented players showcasing their skills, Latvia may soon be recognized as a formidable force in the darts world. Continued investment in youth programs and tournaments will nourish this talent pool. If we keep cultivating these players, we could see them competing at the highest international levels.
Editor: Thank you so much for your insights, Dr. Kalniņš. It’s clear that darts in Latvia is on an exciting trajectory, and we look forward to seeing how these players develop in the years to come.
Dr. Kalniņš: Thank you for having me! It’s an exciting time for darts, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our players.