Phil Taylor to face Japanese darts legend Mikuru Suzuki in ‘battle of the sexes’ in match 6,000 miles apart

MIKURU SUZUKI will try to slay ‘God of Darts’ Phil Taylor in a special Oriental Battle of the Sexes.

SunSport can reveal today the pair will play each other 6,000 miles apart in a virtual charity darts match on the Target Nexus Dartboard.

Bookmakers Paddy Power will donate £1,000 for every 180 hit and £200 for every first-dart finish to the NHS charity Heroes and Peace Winds.

It will be broadcast on Sky Sports and talkSPORT from 7pm on Thursday.

Taylor, the 16-time world champion, is Big in Japan and Suzuki says it will simply be an honour to play the sporting legend.

The two-time world darts champion said: “Phil is super famous here.

“In Japan he’s known literally as the God of Darts. I don’t think there is someone in Japan who plays darts and doesn’t know Phil Taylor.

“Everybody will be super-happy and impressed that I’m playing a charity game against him.

“To beat him would be totally unbelievable.

“He’s amazing. I can barely describe him with words.

“I first saw him play about 11 years ago. When I met him at Frankfurt last year, I felt he was charming, approachable, easy to speak with him

“In soft tip darts, I have a lot of experience of playing and then beating men on the Asia Tour.”

Suzuki is the reigning women’s world champion, having retained her title at the O2 Indigo in January.

And she came close to winning a match against James Richardson at the PDC World Darts Championships at Ally Pally last December.

While Taylor is at home in Stoke, Suzuki will be playing eight hours ahead on the island of Shikoku in lockdown with her family.

Yet she will have to break long-standing Japanese tradition by wearing SHOES inside on the homemade oche.

The 38-year-old, nicknamed Miracle, said: “I’ve never worn shoes in my house.

“I’d say 100% of Japanese people take them off before entering a house. So, I’ll feel weird.

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“I always wear shoes to play. It makes a difference.

“I’m also a bit worried I will be too loud and make too much noise with my shoes in this quiet Japanese house. Maybe I will bother my family.

“I’m a bit worried and concerned about that during the game.”

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