Willie O’Connor has slammed the playing conditions at the World Cup of Darts.
The Irishman called for the PDC to change the venue after reaching the quarter-finals alongside partner Keane Barry.
O’Connor and Barry saw off Switzerland’s Stefan Bellmont and Alex Fehlmann 8-3 in the last 16 on Saturday.
However, the Magpie was left furious with the heat on stage at the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt.
The 6,946-capacity arena has hosted the tournament since 2022 after a previous stint between 2015 and 2018.
Ice hockey team Lowen Frankfurt are the usual tenants at the indoor arena, which O’Connor has called to have air conditioning installed.
Speaking after the win over Switzerland, he explained: “It’s so hot up on that stage, it’s hard to play our best darts. It’s really, really hard. It’s terrible.
“We have to change the venue or maybe put on a bit of air conditioning or something, because someone will drop over on that stage.
“Well, I’m not exactly the biggest man in the world and I can tell you that it’s hot up on that stage and it’s not good.”
O’Connor is one of only three players to have competed at every edition of the World Cup of Darts.
This year’s tournament is the third consecutive event where he has been paired with Barry.
The pair finally ended their wait to qualify for the last 16 after topping group D.
O’Connor and Barry are into the quarter-finals after beating SwitzerlandGetty Images - GettyA win over Gibraltar in their opening match was followed by a defeat to China on Friday, though.
It meant the Republic of Ireland only qualified based on legs won against the throw.
All three teams had been tied on points and legs difference after their two matches.
However, it did not slow them down as they knocked out their Swiss opponents in the second round.
O’Connor and Barry will now face fourth seeds Northern Ireland on Sunday for a place in the semi-finals.
Their best previous performance came in 2019 as O’Connor and Steve Lennon were beaten in the final by Scotland.
The second round continues on Saturday night, with defending champions and top seeds England beginning their campaign.
Luke Humphries and Luke Littler face Germany, with Argentina or Australia awaiting the winner in the quarter-finals.
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