MARTIN SCHINDLER came agonizingly close to claiming a £60,000 prize during his 3-0 defeat to Callan Rydz yesterday.

Schindler was knocked out of the PDC World Championship on Sunday night following his loss to Rydz.

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Despite this, the 28-year-old was only one dart away from achieving a remarkable nine-darter, which would have provided him with a splendid Christmas bonus.

If a player executes a perfect leg of darts at Ally Pally this festive season, they stand to receive £60,000 from the sponsor Paddy Power.

Moreover, a fortunate spectator at the event also earns £60,000, and an additional £60,000 is donated to Prostate Cancer UK.

Schindler was tantalizingly close to joining the ranks of elite players able to secure the prize, having hit eight perfect darts, narrowly missing the double 12 needed for the jackpot.

The world number 22’s last dart came excruciatingly close to the target but ultimately fell short.

Incredibly, he ended up losing the leg despite having only 12 points left.

Viewers were left stunned by his leg loss, especially since Rydz still had 164 points remaining on the board.

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Following the match, one fan commented online: “How did Martin Schindler lose that leg?”

Another expressed: “Martin Schindler will be practicing hitting that double until next Christmas.”

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A third fan added: “Martin Schindler must be furious after missing that nine-darter in the first set.”

A fourth noted: “What a disappointing performance by Martin Schindler. After scoring eight perfect darts, he struggled to hit the doubles at all.”

“Overall, it was a very disappointing World Darts Championship from a German perspective.”

Schindler isn’t the only competitor to come so close to achieving a nine-darter over the weekend.

Luke Littler similarly nearly secured £60k in his match against Ryan Meikle.

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