Bahrain played host to the first darts event in 2026 after the World Championship, and it wasn’t plain sailing for all the favourites in Sakhir.
The 2026 season in darts got underway in the curtain calling, Bahrain Darts Masters, at the Exhibition World Bahrain in Sakhir, where the best in the world square off against the best of Asia. Although all the big names got through, there was only one whitewash on day one in the desert, being Luke Humphries over Abdulla Saeed, and there could’ve been more for the underdogs if they had taken their chances.
THE BULLET BEGINS HIS DEFENCE
In the final game of the day, reigning champion in Bahrain, Stephen Bunting, faced Japan’s Ryusei Azemoto. After losing the first leg, The Bullet got himself into a two leg lead going into the fifth. Despite a nervy final leg with multiple match darts missed, and Azemeto managing to pinch a second leg, Bunting completed a 6-2 victory, and a clean sweep for the PDC stars.
MIGHTY MIKE GETS THE JOB DONE
Michael Van Gerwen will break the record for the most World Series Of Darts appearances next time in Saudi Arabia, he tied level on 50 with Peter Wright in Bahrain. The slow throw of Alexis Toylo wasn’t enough to throw the green machine off his game, although the Filipino gave as good as he got, a two leg lead , and a breaker throw didn’t arrive until the shot that gave the Dutchman the victory by six legs to four, including Toylo coming milimeters away from landing in the bullseye to complete a 167 checkout.
BATTLE OF THE AGES
It was quite literally one as 18-year-old, reigning two-time World Champion, Luke Littler, took on the loveable 71-year-old, Paul Lim. It went as expected with youth coming out on top by five legs. Lim did cause limbs right from the outset as he started proceedings with a 180, and checked out 74 to draw level at 1-1, which were ended by Littler’s big fish to take the second leg. From then on, it was buisness as usual for The Nuke.
LUKE KEEPS COOL
2024 World Champion, Luke Humphries, was up against Abdulla Saeed for the third consecutive time in this event. “Cool Hand” Luke first visit the third time around saw a maximum score and signaled what was to come. Despite missing the odd double, it was a whitewash for Humphries, taking his total advantage over Saed to 16-0. Saeed was denied a chance to take out a big fish, and came to within a bullseye of checking out a 161, but the third dart was way off.
THIRD TIME AROUND
In a rematch of the opening round of a first round tie in the World Championship, and the 2024 Bahrain Masters, Lourence Ilagan ran Nathan Aspinall all the way, but once more came up short against The Asp, on this occasion by another 6-4 score for the evening. In the third leg, Aspinall looked to have scuppered a 75 finish, but managed to recover, hitting the desired treble 19 and then double eight. Ilagan was unlucky to miss out on a 120 finish, missing the crucial double 20, but made good two darts later, to take the opening leg.
RESUMING NORMAL BUISNESS
Off the back of three maximum scores, and nine that were a ton or over saw Danny Noppert gain a routine victory over Baseem Mahmood, and setting up a quarter-final clash with compatriot and world cup partner, Gian Van Veen. The latter was only able to find one 180, but has nothing to be ashamed of, also finding four each of scores over 140 and 100, but in the end it was his average of 74 that was his cryptonite.
A NERVY START
The first to step up against some of the best the PDC has to offer were Motomu Sakai and Man Lok Leung. Both held their own against their opponents, Gerwyn Price and Gian Van Veen. Sakai gave The Iceman a hard time, only falling to the Welshman by two legs, losing by six legs to four, and Leung managed to finish a leg first twice against the World Championship finalist, but Van Veen found the crucial sixth leg first.
James Mclean Sports 
Leave a comment