With his second appearance in the PDC World Championship coming up I’ve had an interview with Madars Razma about both his own life and career and the future of Latvian darts. He told me about how much it meant to him that his teacher in darts Aigars Strelis won the inaugural BDO/WDF Latvian Open in 2016, while, according to him, Nauris Gleglu is the second best Latvian at the moment.
His best achievement in the three BDO World Championships he played in is reaching the last 16 in both 2015 and 2016 by beating Martin Phillips and Gary Robson respectively. This first win resulted, as he told me, in a lot of attention from the Latvian media. This year the Latvian star made it to the final of Players Championship 14 in which he lost the final against Peter Wright, but had beaten Steve Lennon, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Ian White, Karel Sedlacek, Jelle Klaasen and Devon Petersen on his way. Razmatazz is looking to make Toru Suzuki his first scalp at the PDC World Championship and will meet Gary Anderson in the second round if he comes through.
Who are you?
My name is Madars Razma. I’m a leading Latvian dart player and one of the best in Nordic & Baltic region, who play in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. I’m 32 years old (born on 26 September 1988 in Priekule, Latvia) and I have a wife and a 2 years old son. I’m just playing darts, because I need to travel too much and I can’t combine my travelling with any job in Latvia.
When and how did you start playing darts?
The 1st time I played darts in 1999, when I was 11 years old. But played just a few years and not more than 5 local tournaments per year. Later my priority for many years was to play handball and just in 2009 I come back to darts. The first three or four years I played only in the Baltic States, then four years in the BDO / WDF tournaments and now four years in the PDC.
The 1st time I saw darts was on German TV. It was in 1997 I think. Then one year later my father bought a dartboard for me to play home, but I didn’t played a lot at home. Just for fun.
Which darts do you use?
I use my personalized “Madars Razma Unicorn Global 25 g / 95% Tungsten” darts. There are two Raymond van Barneveld darts together, because before I signed my first contract with Unicorn Darts in 2014, I played with 2 different Barney darts.
What is/are your best achievement(s) so far?
Very difficult to answer! I will never forget my first title in the WDF / BDO tournaments outside the Baltic States. It was in 2013, when I won Finnish Open. And it was the first season for me in Europe. I can’t forgot my first PDC Q-School, because it was one of the hardest four days marathon in darts, where I ever played! But I still hope that my biggest achievements are still ahead.
What is your favourite darts tournament and why?
The WDF Europe Cup 2016 in the Netherlands and the PDC World Cup of Darts 2020 in Austria. Two tournaments, where I played for my country. Of course, I’m happy to represent my country in the World Championships and other TV tournaments also, but there is other feelings. And finally Dutch Open – the biggest darts tournament in the World with thousands of players from many countries.
Who are your top 5 Latvian players? And why?
It’s difficult to comment Latvian darts players performance many years ago, but at the moment I’m number 1 I think 🙂 Nauris Gleglu should be No 2, because he is very smart darts player. And then we have a lot of players with same level I think.
What is your goal for 2021 and the further future?
First of all, I want to conclude this season. But anyway, I want to see progress in myself, for
example, looks like I will save my tour card this year.
How often do you practise?
If I’m at home, then I try to practice every day. The exception is the day after returning back to Latvia from the tournament.
How do you practise?
At the moment I live 100 km from Riga and we don’t have many opportunities to practice darts outside home. Therefore I’m practising darts home alone. I’m playing many different games with practising my scoring and doubles as well.
What is your favourite moment in the history of Latvian darts? (For example, an event
hosted in Latvia, a Latvian player performing something great, an happening / development which made darts more popular/wider spread in Latvia)
Good question! I think there are a lot of small special moments for me. For example.. My teacher in darts Aigars Strelis won the first WDF ranking tournament in Latvia: Latvia Open 2006, where very good players played like Jarko Komula from Finland and many others, but I lost against Aigars Strelis in the 1st round game 3:4 🙂 It’s great to hear good words about Latvia Open from European players, who played in Latvia. Personally from me, when I hit the first 9-dart leg in the Baltic States plus all my best achievements in Europe of course.
Have you ever hit a 9-dart leg? If so when and against who?
I can’t remember which year, but my first 9-dart leg I hit at home.
Then I hit perfect leg with two 180’s and checkout from 141 in the
Latvian and Baltic ranking tournament – Priekule Cup 2014
(6/9/2014 against Lithuanian Rokas Aniulis).
The first perfect 9-dart leg in the PDC I hit with 180, 174 and checkout from 147 in the PDC Czech Darts Open 2019 qualifier (21/6/2019 against Spanish Cristo
Reyes). The last 9-dart leg I hit at home a couple of days ago 🙂
| ! | Player | Turn | Score | Rnd | Score | Turn | Player | ! |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 180 | Madars Razma | 180 | 321 | 1 | 401 | 100 | Cristo Reyes | 100 |
| 174 | Madars Razma | 174 | 147 | 2 | 267 | 134 | Cristo Reyes | 134 |
| DO 147 | Madars Razma | 147 | 0 | 3 |
What are your good and bad sides within darts?
I don’t want to talk publicly about my bad sides in darts, but I have them of course. One of my plus is, that I can adapt to play any game. I’m trying to play as I feel, but if I need, then I feel comfortable to play fast and slow, throwing to T20 and T19. I feel universal. But I’m still getting the experience and I’m only getting better and better.
What do you think about Latvian darts?
At the moment it’s hard to comment, what’s going on in the Latvian Darts Organization
tournaments, because I haven’t played in Latvia for two years now and I don’t want to say
something wrong. But I’m sure, darts in Latvia will go to the right way. We already have the best festival of darts (Latvia Open) in the Baltic States for many years. The PDC Nordic & Baltic like to organize tours in Riga. There will be changes like in any other sport after Covid-19 pandemic, but I’m sure everything will be okay in Latvian darts.
What do you think the influence of you being the first ever Latvian darts player who broke
through in both the BDO and PDC is on Latvian darts? For example, how could darts in the
Latvia improve, are there national (ranking) events?
The moment when media in Latvian started to follow darts more than before was after my win over Welsh Martin Phillips at the BDO Lakeside World Championship in 2015. And now is the next step, because I’m getting better and better results in the PDC circuit.
It’s great to know a few talented youth players in Latvia, who saw me at the World Championships and started to play darts to be where I am. Just I think they don’t know, how much time they need to invest to play between the best dart players on the planet. When I started to play darts in Europe – I should have forgot everything around darts, I mean – girls, parties, etc. But anyway.. I really hope to see the 2nd Latvian, who will be competitive in European tournaments one day!
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