Top darts stars visit college to help maths skills

Three top darts players have visited a college in Surrey to inspire students and develop their maths skills.

Paul Nicholson, Devon Petersen and three-time world champion Michael Van Gerwen talked to students at North East Surrey College of Technology (Nescot) in Epsom.

Nicholson and Petersen played a five-leg match, then the players held a Q&A and participated in a darts-related maths quiz.

Michael van Gerwen said: "It's great to see first-hand how Nescot are using darts to inspire their students."

All three players were awarded a honorary fellowship.

Devon Petersen said: "It's so good to see students following core values and using darts to enhance their arithmetic."

Paul Nicholson said: "Darts is a sport for all, and it can be educational as well as fun."

The players formally opened a newly-branded department of maths.

Each classroom now has a darts board and is named after a darts legend.

Julie Kapsalis, principal and chief executive at Nescot, said: "Exciting and engaging students retaking their maths GCSEs was the challenge that made this day take shape.

"We regularly invite leaders from business, sport and the community to share their stories and when looking for a maths enthusiast, my mind turned to my own sporting passion – darts."

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