The World Darts Championship begins today with 96 stars heading to Alexandra Palace hoping to win the £500,000 prize. The tournament is the sport’s biggest event and runs over the Christmas period and into the new year.
Come the final on January 3, 2024, there could be a new winner. Nobody has retained the title since Gary Anderson in 2016, making reigning champion Michael Smith’s task difficult.
Six former champions will all be at Alexandra Palace hoping to win the World Darts Championship again. Many have backed rising star Luke Humphries, 28, to win his first title.
You can follow all the updates in Express Sport’s LIVE blog, below…
Taylor hatches retirement plan
Phil Taylor plans to enter the media circuit when he hangs up his darts.
The Power has announced that he will retire at the end of next year.
Taylor, 63, competed at the inaugural World Darts Championship 30 years ago.
“There’s other things I’ll be doing,” Taylor said of stepping away from the sport.
“I won’t be sitting by the TV every day. I can go more into doing media stuff and personal appearances.
“Practicing every day, it’s hard work for me now I can’t do it.”
PDC investigation
The PDC continues to investigate a feud between Belgian stars Kim Huybrechts and Dimitri van den Bergh at the World Cup of Darts.
The pair reportedly refused to speak in their opening matches of the tournament, which requires teams to be cohesive.
Relations normalised as the tournament went on following an intervention by Belgian staff.
”The procedure is in full swing,” the PDC told Het Nieuwsblad when asked if the matter was being investigated six months on.
”Nothing will be made public about the case until a final decision has been made.
“That will not happen during the World Championship, so think more like January or early February for a ruling. The reason it is taking so long is because of other cases Huybrechts is currently involved in.”
Huybrechts said in September: ”We do talk again now. We say hello and have a chat when we see each other. It’s not that we’re best buddies, sitting at the same table or gaming together at hotel, but … You know, I’ve known Dimitri since he was born.
“There have been issues and there still are, they’re not suddenly gone, but we do act normal to each other. We also learned a very hard lesson then, a good one maybe.
“Everyone has issues, the downside for us was that it was highlighted for millions of viewers.”
Welcome!
Welcome to Express Sport’s LIVE coverage as the World Darts Championship gets underway.
We’ll have all the latest from Alexandra Palace right here…
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