BDO world champion Wayne Warren has described the reduced prize money for winning the 2020 tournament as “gutting”.

In January, the 57-year-old Welshman became the oldest winner of a world championship in darts.

However, this was against the backdrop of controversy with rumours of the competition’s prize fund being slashed.

The eventual winner’s cheque of £23,000 represented a significant reduction from the £100,000 claimed by Glen Durrant in the 2019 tournament.

“We knew things weren’t right by a mile,” said Warren, explaining the mood among the players during the competition, in an interview with Red Dragon.

“Obviously the prestige is winning the trophy – simple. But once you’ve lifted that cup, then you think about the money.

“I didn’t know what money I was going to get.

“I heard various different figures and this, that and the other. But when I actually had the figure told to me, it was gutting really. It was gutting.

“I’ve got the cup and that’s it now. I’ve just got to get on with it.”

When I actually had the figure told to me, it was gutting really. It was gutting.

Warren was expecting more

The weeks of uncertainty surrounding his earnings proved to be a factor in his decision not to enter PDC Q-School.

“I came back from The O2 and to be honest I was mentally and physically tired,” he said.

“I phoned my manager and I said about not going and he said ‘sit down and have a think about it’, which I was doing.

“Then I had an email then to say about the money situation and to be honest, in my head, it was pointless me going up.

“I can’t go into a tournament like that, especially a big tournament as it is.

“Then I thought to myself, I need to regenerate money from that cup, so I’m going to be as busy as I can this year [with exhibitions].

“I just didn’t want to do the two, I can’t do the two together. So I’m concentrating on this, this year.

“PDC next year? Maybe.”

So what does 2020 have in store for Wayne Warren?

“I hope it’s going to be a very busy year to be honest,” he said. “That’s my plan, push in as much work as I can. Obviously I’ll do the odd couple of tournaments, but my tournaments [schedule] won’t be as it was last year, no way.

“But I want to do as many exhibitions as I can put in really.”

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