Phil Taylor. — © IMAGO/Pro Sports Images
He is the most successful darts player ever, but Phil Taylor is not having a nice farewell year. The sixteen-time world champion is struggling with arthritis at the age of 63 and that prevents The Power from throwing at a high level.
Taylor is known as the greatest darts player of all time, with no fewer than sixteen world titles to his name. More: Between 1994 and 2007, the Englishman appeared in every World Cup final. Taylor played a final against his ‘successor’ Michael van Gerwen once and won 7-4 (in 2013). Five years later he played his last World Cup final, which the Englishman lost to Rob Cross.
After a few years in the shadows, Taylor made his comeback on the senior circuit, but The Power could not really make his mark there. His last World Cup appearance ended in the first round.
“That match crushed my leg, my back, everything actually,” he said in an interview with Online Darts. The main culprit is arthritis, an autoimmune disease. “I was encouraged so loudly and the atmosphere was fantastic, it was terrible that I had to go out like that. The arthritis prevents me from turning or tilting my body to the right, so I don’t throw straight either. All my arrows land in the five. I don’t want to end my career like this. I’m desperate and doing everything I can to get my level up, but right now it’s a nightmare. Seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Even at night in my bed I have pain.”
Taylor hopes to lose some weight to improve his performance. The Power recently participated in the Champion of Champions tournament in Blackpool, but lost 10-9 to former competitor Martin Adams in the first round. However, at one point Taylor was 9-6 ahead…
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