The 32nd edition of the World Darts Championship ends this Friday evening with a dream final. Since December 15, the 96 best darts players have competed to determine the best among them at Alexandra Palace in London. The 3,200 daily spectators helped make this competition unique, by creating a crazy atmosphere and coming in disguise.
This Friday evening, the past meets the future for a present final that will make darts fans salivate. On the one hand, the Dutch legend Michael Van Gerwen (35 years old), seeded number 3 and former world number 1 from 2014 to 2021 and three times winner of these Worlds (2014, 2017 and 2019) held his place by qualifying for the final, his 7th in this competition. On the other hand, 17-year-old English prodigy Luke Littler, an unfortunate finalist a year ago, will have a chance to become the youngest world champion in history.
The winner will leave with honors and glory… but also a nice check for 500,000 pounds (or 602,500 euros). The unfortunate finalist will pocket 200,000 pounds (or 241,020 euros). Throughout the tournament, sponsors delivered the total sum of 2,500,000 pounds (or 3,011,750 euros). The amounts range from 7,500 pounds (or 9,036.75 euros) for those eliminated from the first round to 100,000 pounds (or 120,470 euros) for those who reached the last four.
For the only Frenchman present, Thibault Tricole, sharply eliminated (3-0) by world number 1 Luke Humphries, the defending champion, he will receive the amount of a defeat in the 2nd round, namely 15,000 pounds (i.e. 18 073.50 euros). The others eliminated will respectively receive 25,000 pounds (i.e. 30,122.50 euros) for those beaten in the 3rd round, 35,000 pounds (i.e. 42,171.50 euros) for those in the 4th round, 50,000 pounds (i.e. 60,244 euros) for those of the quarters.
-The organizers have also planned bonuses of 60,000 pounds (or 72,305.40 euros) for any player who achieves a 9-dart finish (a “9-darter”), that is to say achieving a perfect round of 501 in three ends. During this edition, two players achieved this performance: the Dutchman Christian Kist against the Latvian Madars Razma in the 1st round and the Australian Damon Heta against the Englishman Luke Woodhouse in the 3rd round.
In addition to the author of this feat, a spectator present in the room at the time of the feat also received 60,000 pounds, as did the British association fighting prostate cancer, Prostate Cancer UK.
