Canada's Jeff Smith is shown in action against India at the 450,000 pound ($760,720) My Diesel Claim World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt, Germany in this Thursday, June 15, 2023 handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Jonas Hunold/PDC *MANDATORY CREDIT*
FRANKFURT – Canada defeated India 4-2 in its opening match Thursday at the 450,000-pound ($760,720) My Diesel Claim World Cup of Darts.
Canada is represented at the 40-country tournament by Jeff (The Silencer) Smith and Matt (Ginja Ninja) Campbell.
Needing 45 to win, Campbell hit a 13 and double-16 to end the match.
Smith arrived on a high after winning the bet365 North American Championship darts title earlier this month in New York. The 47-year-old from Hampton, N.B., also finished runner-up at the companion bet365 U.S. Darts Masters, losing to world No. 3 Michael van Gerwen in the final.
Defending champion Australia opened defence of its title with a 4-0 win over Guyana.
The World Cup goes through Sunday at Frankfurt’s Eissporthalle. Canada, which has made the quarterfinals of the World Cup three times in the past, plays Hungary in Group H play Friday.
Campbell, a 33-year-old from Hamilton, is ranked 60th in the world compared to No. 69 for Smith, who is making his fifth appearance at the World Cup.
Smith beat Campbell to win the North American Championship.
“I have played well all year without results. I needed a confidence booster and winning that title was definitely a confidence booster,” said Smith.
“We both play well together and we’re good friends, so it’s a combination that makes us dangerous for anyone,” he added.
Four-time winners England and the Netherlands, alongside 2020 winners Wales and two-time champion Scotland, get a first-round bye and will open play in the round of 16.
The remaining 36 teams have been split into 12 groups of three for the round-robin first round, with the group winners moving on.
The winning team will collect 80,000 pounds ($135,195).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2023
