Nathan Aspinall Tops List of 15 Darts Stars Who Withdraw from £15k Tournament Days Before Kickoff

NATHAN ASPINALL is among 15 darts players who pulled out of Players Championship 13 and 14 in Hildesheim.

The ProTour event continued this week as Kevin Doets beat Luke Woodhouse 8-5 in the final to win Players 13.

Nathan Aspinall is among the darts stars who have pulled out of Players 13 and 14 Credit: Getty Luke Humphries and Gian van Veen also withdrew from the events in Hildesheim Credit: PA

Wessel Nijman then claimed victory in the Players 14 final with a 8-1 demolition of Max Hopp.

Three-time world champion did compete in both events as he desperate bids to move up the rankings.

But a number of big-name stars opted to withdraw just days before it started in Germany.

They include Aspinall, world No 2 , , , Stephen Bunting, Johnny Clayton and Josh Rock.

Others stars to pull out are World Darts Championship semi-finalist Ryan Searle, plus Daryl Gurney and .

World champion is yet to appear on the ProTour this season in favour of playing closer to his home in Wigan.

The Nuke also knows he can afford to pick and choose his tournaments given his World No 1 ranking.

There have been complaints from darts stars over the choice of location in Hildesheim amid recent travel chaos on the tour.

Gary Anderson is one darts star who has voice frustration over travel chaos at European events Credit: PA

Clayton voiced his frustration over the location last year and said he would snub ProTour events there in the future.

He said: “You know I didn’t go to Germany for the Pro Tour events in Hildesheim simply because I don’t think we should have them there.

“But those are the only ones I missed — I try to get to everything else.”

Meanwhile, time-time world champ Gary Anderson also said he was getting fed up of having to travel for European events because of long passport queues.

He told Online Darts : “It’s hard enough having to travel now, but standing in queues for three and a half hours… I can’t do that.

“If it’s another three and a half hours, you won’t see me.” So there is also that to contend with.

Aspinall himself after his bag failed to arrive at the airport while travelling for the European Tour.

He said: “The Euro tour just keeps on giving this year. Bag hasn’t turned up should have spent Easter with the kids instead. Airports are an absolute joke at the moment.”