Dubai to Host First-Ever Darts Tournament

The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) have revealed they will visit Dubai for the first time for the Duty Free Darts Masters, which will be played on May 23 & 24 at the Dubai Tennis Stadium.

The world’s top eight darts players will compete in the event which will be part of the first leg of the PDC’s World Series of Darts.

Commenting on the upcoming event, Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free said: “This is the first time that a professional darts tournament has been staged in Dubai and the first time that darts will be played in an outdoor arena. We think that this sport, which is growing in popularity across the world, will be a good addition to Dubai’s busy sports and social calendar.”

Two-time World Champion Adrian Lewis, the world number two, is joined by seven-time major title winner James Wade, World Grand Prix champion Michael van Gerwen, European Champion Simon Whitlock, two-time major finalists Andy Hamilton and Wes Newton and five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld in challenging for the title.

The players will initially compete in four knockout quarter-final matches on Thursday May 23, before the semi-finals and final are held on Friday May 24 to determine the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters champion.

“The Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters is an exciting event and I’m delighted that we’ll be coming to Dubai in May,” said world No.1 Phil Taylor.

“I’ve never had the chance to play there before so it’s great for me and the other players that we’ll be able to play for such a great title.

“The sport’s growing around the world and it’s a great chance for fans in both Dubai and from across the Middle East to see a live event, and hopefully this will be the seed for the tournament to grow in the coming years.”

With players from 21 countries having competed recently in the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship and 24 nations taking part in February’s Betfair World Cup of Darts, the PDC see the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters as an important stepping-stone in the sport’s worldwide growth.

“Darts is already a hugely popular sport in both Dubai and across the Middle East due to the live television coverage of our events on OSN, but it’s a very positive development to be staging the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters,” said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.

“Darts fans in Dubai will now get to see the best players in darts in the flesh for the first time in May and this tournament will give them the chance to experience a full PDC event live.

“Our aim is that the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters will be the inaugural tournament in a World Series of Darts which will see our top players taking the sport around the world, and our negotiations are continuing to turn this vision into a reality.”