Firstly Kan, how did you initially find your way into darts refereeing in Japan? “My first referee experience was when I volunteered for a local monthly tournament, which I failed big time. Back then, I had no idea how demanding refereeing is! But the organisers of that tournament gave me more opportunities afterwards. After a year or so, one of the guys organising the Japan Open found me calling in the final, and asked me whether I am interested in calling at bigger stages. I jumped to the occasion and was given the opportunity to call for final matches of handicapped, youth, and ladies divisions of the 2018 Japan Open. People who saw me for the first time were surprised by my English, and many people came by to tell me they expect to see me on many more occasions to come. That was when I started to think about becoming a certified referee of PDC Asia.”
You recently earned your refereeing certification on the PDC Asian Tour. How did this feel? “I was relieved. By the time I visited Taipei for my certification program, handfuls of people in Japan knew about me and were expecting me to pass the program. I also had several people supporting me in one way or the other, such as providing me with opportunities to practice my refereeing skills in their tournaments. So when Russ Bray gave me the certificate, I was happy for the fact that I was able to prove people who believed in me and supported me during those times were right. I hope I can give back to those people by becoming a better referee, and be able to call for their tournaments/matches.”
Russ Bray handed you your nickname of ‘The Voice of Asia’. How was it to work alongside a legend in Russ? “It was amazing! Being able to meet a legend who you always watched through television is one thing, and having that person teach you the knowledge and experiences he gained through his career is another. Mr Bray kept on telling me to enjoy the occasion and also told me he is my teacher in darts refereeing from now on. To be honest, until then I was not confident whether my refereeing skills were enough to meet the standards of PDC Asia, but when a legend like him told me he’s got me under his wings, that gave me a huge boost in confidence, which probably was a big factor in me passing the exam [which was to call on stage at a semi-final match of PDC Asia in Taipei, broadcasted live on the internet]. I can’t thank him enough, and I hope to be able to work with him as many times as possible.”
Do you referee much steel-tip darts in Asia? If so, what sort of stuff do you referee? “I just started my career as a certified PDC Asia referee, and the 2019 season ended at the start of September in Singapore. I hope to be able to call for more international matches in the 2020 season and beyond, but for now, my main refereeing field is in Japan. I referee from small, local tournaments featuring less than 10 participants to national level matches with 500,000¥ [around £3,000] as the winner’s prize. My current aim is to gain as much experience as possible, and become a better referee who is trusted by many players and organisers.”
What is your main aim as a referee? “My ultimate goal, which is probably a dream for everyone who is refereeing a darts match, is to work with the PDC as their official referee. It would be a dream come true if I can call on the stage of Alexandra Palace! In short to mid-term goal, I want to become the most trusted referee in PDC Asia. Mr Bray taught me a trusted referee could give a sense of relaxation to the players participating in the match because they do not have to worry about mistakes caused by the referee. I believe that is one factor for the players to unleash their potential for higher performance, and being able to call for matches with high averages and huge checkouts is a great honour and fun for the referee as well.”
In England, we have local steel-tip leagues, such as county and super league. Do you have similar systems in Japan? “Japan owns many local steel-tip leagues as well. In most cases, the league consists of teams. As far as I know, in the league I participate in there’s a match on every weekday of the calendar except for the holiday seasons. Some leagues provide wonderful prizes such as the right to participate in a tournament organised in other countries, so people take these matches very seriously.”
How popular is soft-tip darts compared to steel-tip darts in Asia? “I know soft-tip darts is a lot bigger in Japan, although recently many people are starting to play steel-tip as well, thanks to Japanese players like Mikuru Suzuki, Seigo Asada, and Haruki Muramatsu.”
Do you find many steel-tip boards in Asia in pubs/bars or is it mainly soft-tip machines? “As far as I remember, I saw a lot more soft-tip machines in the Asian countries/areas I visited. But again that’s only a few places, so it will be interesting for me to see how it is in other places which I am set to visit in the coming years.”
Finally, Kan, you’ve seen a host of talent in Asia, especially on the PDC Asian Tour. Could you give us some names of players you can see doing well in the future, perhaps someone who hasn’t already made a breakthrough? “I am very confident Noel Malicdem from the Philippines has the potential to be a major threat not only in PDC Asia but also in the PDC. Noel was the first man in PDC Asia to hit a nine-darter, which was in the very first final on the PDC Asian Tour, and also was the record holder of the highest average. He fired a 108.5 average over nine legs in the semi-final match of the Taipei event, and that was when he trailed 4-1 in a first to five match!
“I want to mention another Japanese woman who has the potential to be a major force in the ladies field, whose name is Kasumi Sato. She is the top female player on the professional soft-tip tour. Sato participates in Japan’s PERFECT tour. I am guessing Sato will need more experience in steel-tip darts, especially to get used to longer match formats. But she’s hit a 10-darter before, and we Japanese know what she is capable of doing. If Sato can recall those moments in England [she will participate in 2019 BDO World Masters], I think she can surprise the darting world, just like Suzuki did at the Lakeside several months ago.”
