Pro dart player Devon Petersen opens Dart Math Centre at Rosendal High in Delft
Petersen heads to the Darts World Cup in Frankfurt this June to represent Mzansi and hopefully return with a win.
CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit speaks to South African professional darts player and founder of Dartboard Maths, Devon Petersen.
Listen below:
Devon Petersen, a former Mitchell’s Plain resident now living in the United Kingdom, is South Africa's only professional darts player competing on the global darts circuit.
He is using his talent and platform to inspire youth with a program called 'Dartboard Maths', which was initially started to help his child with math. This idea has now grown into a global project.
Dartboard Maths mixes math with darts, turning learning into a fun and active experience.
It helps improve numeracy, problem-solving, and school performance.
The program also supports the International School Darts League (ISDL), giving young players the chance to compete and grow.
The very first Dart Math Centre in Cape Town opened last week at Rosendal High School in Delft.
The program began in Gqeberha two years ago and now has over 400 young players involved.
Petersen believes darts can be the 'difference maker' for kids from vulnerable communities.
"Long has the time gone where you have sport at school, where it becomes a distraction... I used to play in school sports as well, coming from Mondale High in Portland... but when you understand what the impact is and the reason for us going to Delft, setting up the very first Dart Math Centre in Rosendal, now understanding the circumstances and situation in the Delft area. Darts can be the difference maker."
- Devon Petersen, Founder - Dartboard Maths
Petersen also believes that there is room for professional darts to grow in South Africa, especially in Cape Town.
"With what we're building... in Cape Town, we literally can create the pathway to the professional standards... with us hosting the international qualifiers, being tied in with the PDPA and World Darts Federation. The sport of darts is now put on a pedestal and platform that can connect globally."
- Devon Petersen, Founder - Dartboard Maths
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation.