Going Out: Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters

Matt Jones - Editor 15:32 26/05/2016
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  • Masters at the oche: The eight top players in the world are here in Dubai.

    The biggest names in darts step to the oche as the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters returns to the UAE today.

    The event is the opening round of the Professional Darts Corporation’s (PDC) 2016 World Series of Darts and will be taking place at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on Thursday and Friday night.

    World No1 Michael van Gerwen will be the man to beat, having won this event three times in a row since it first came to the UAE in 2013. The Dutchman will be keen to arrow in on yet another Dubai trophy, although he will need to be at his best with reigning world champion Gary Anderson also hungry to find silverware in the Emirates.

    They will be joined by a stellar cast including legend Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, a record 16-time world champion, another Dutchman in five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld and ‘Jackpot’ Adrian Lewis, the two-time world champion.

    “I can’t wait to get back to Dubai,” said van Gerwen. “The Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters is a special event and I’ve loved playing there for the last three years. It’s a great venue and it will be a fantastic way to start this year’s World Series of Darts.“I’ll be doing everything I can to make it four in a row but there are eight great players in the tournament so I know it will be tough.”

    Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters

    Matthew Porter, chief executive of the PDC, is extremely proud of how the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters has developed in such a short time and he can only see that continuing. “We’re delighted to be back in Dubai,” said Porter.

    “This is where the World Series started for us back in 2013. It was a real step into the unknown, with the event being played outdoors, in a country out of our comfort zone.  The way that we were received though and the way the players  delivered proved to us that we’d made the right decision. Three years further on we’re even more pleased to be back here again. The World Series has gone from strength to strength over the last three years. Darts is a really top level professional sport now, its popularity has never been so high.

    “We go on to Tokyo, Shanghai, Perth, Sydney and Auckland and we’ll look for more destinations in the future, but as long as you want us here in Dubai we’ll be coming back. We look forward to putting on a great show for you over the next couple of days.”

    George Horan, president of event sponsors Dubai Duty Free, added: “This is the fourth time we’ve hosted this event and it’s been a great pleasure for us. It’s been very successful. We are very pleased that it has grown to become one of the most highly anticipated events in the Dubai calendar, providing a unique opportunity to see the world’s top players in a highly competitive atmosphere at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.”

    The draw for today’s quarter-finals was made at the stadium yesterday, with world champion Anderson taking on Dutch legend Van Barneveld.

    Veteran Taylor will play James ‘The Machine’ Wade; Lewis faces Dave Chisnell and Van Gerwen begins his title defence against Peter Wright, the man he beat to lift the 2014 Dubai crown. In addition to the Dh750,000 in prize money on offer, Sixt Rent a Car will donate a new Mercedes-Benz GLC 250 SUV to any player who hits a nine darter during the two-day tournament.

    Tickets are on sale now, with VIP tickets also available.

    General admission tickets are available from Dh199 (Thursday) and Dh250 (Friday), with a spot at a VIP table priced at Dh799 (Thursday) and Dh999 (Friday), while a 10-person VIP table is yours from Dh7,999 (Thursday) and Dh9,999 (Friday). Two-day tickets can also be purchased.

    VENUE: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium
    WHAT: Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters
    WHEN: Today and tomorrow (Friday) from 18:00
    VERDICT: Watch some of dart’s finest slinging their arrows in a vibrant and colourful atmosphere where a good time is guaranteed.
    CONTACT: Call 056 1134626, email at [email protected] or online via www.dubaidarts.com. Tickets are also available at Virgin Megastores and Platinum List across the UAE and at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium box office.

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