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The PDC has issued a statement clarifying the composition of spectators at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters following comments from Nathan Aspinall, who suggested attendees were "not all there off their own accord." The tournament kicked off yesterday featuring high-profile players such as Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen and Luke Humphries.

Aspinall was amongst those who travelled to the Middle East for the competition. Following his victory over Lourence Ilagan in his first match, he shared his thoughts on the atmosphere in the venue. He said: "I don't know. There is definitely a long way to go. It's certainly different. I am not stupid, I feel like they were not all there of their own accord shall we say. It was quite a small venue but you've got to start somewhere.

"Everything needs to start somewhere and as long as people walk away from this week and say, 'we really enjoyed the darts' and the Saudi Arabian press really enjoy the darts there is no reason why not. I've enjoyed my time out here so far, there is worse places to be. I could be sat in Glossop in the snow, so hopefully we can be back again."

The PDC has now addressed Aspinall's remarks, insisting that all those present were genuine enthusiasts. A statement reported by The Telegraph read: "Nathan was reflecting on the fact that this was a first-of-its-kind darts event in the region, with many attendees experiencing live darts for the first time.

"As with any new market, the atmosphere and crowd make-up can differ from long-established darts events such as those in the UK and Europe. All spectators attended as ticket holders or guests, and we were delighted to see such strong interest in the PDC's debut in Saudi Arabia."

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In addition to Aspinall's remarks, reigning world champion Littler has also voiced his opinion, suggesting that the atmosphere is far quieter than what he's accustomed to. After defeating Paul Lim, the young player said: "It wasn't such a loud environment. But I managed to play okay early on. A win is a win.

"It's very different. I didn't expect it. It's not going to be loud. I think we need a bit of noise. We aren't used to this. But I know what to expect on Tuesday.

"The only thing you can compare it to myself is when I competed in the WDF a few years ago. Other than that, all the other venues are dead loud - this one is very different."