Andrea SannaThe world of darts has its first openly gay final referee.
The final of the PDC World Darts Championship was won by Luke Littler, who became the youngest champion in the history of the sport by beating rival Michael Van Gerwen.
And in charge of the second half of the match was Gardiff referee Huw Ware. The first openly gay referee to officiate at a PDC World Darts Championship final.
Huw Ware said he came out to break down barriers after “struggling at times” in the early stages of his refereeing career, and also to “inspire the next generation” of players, referees and fans, while trying to ensure the sport he loves is an appropriate and welcoming space for everyone.
It’s been a “tough journey” for Huw Ware, who said: “Especially in the early years I had to deal with a lot of hardship and it was a big struggle at times. But what’s been amazing for me is to see the changes that darts has gone through over the years, to the point where it’s much better now than when I first got involved.”
And for his coming out, it was important to see people from the LGBTQIA community in high-profile positions at sporting events, particularly in the traditionally ‘macho‘ sport of darts.
“The best thing I could offer was visibility. We’ve all seen the vitriol some players have received for coming out. It’s important for a referee to come out as well.”
Before refereeing the final, Huw Ware wrote on his blog that if he could say anything, it would be to “any gay man or woman out there who is worried that their sexuality will close the doors to worlds they want to be in but don’t think they can anymore, it’s not like that“.
