Skip to content

Cart

Your cart is empty

Article: 2025 BAHRAIN DARTS MASTERS PREVIEW

2025 BAHRAIN DARTS MASTERS PREVIEW
PDC

2025 BAHRAIN DARTS MASTERS PREVIEW

The 2025 Bahrain Darts Masters gets underway on Thursday, as newly-crowned World Champion Luke Littler makes his first appearance since lifting the iconic Sid Waddell Trophy earlier this month.

 

The sport's biggest names return to The Dome at the Bahrain International Circuit for the third staging of the World Series of Darts event. The two-day event takes place on January 16-17.

 

Thursday's first round will pit eight PDC superstars against eight Asian representatives, which includes two local qualifiers and six players from the Asian Tour who competed at the recent World Darts Championship.

 

Littler marked his arrival on the global stage with a nine-darter on his way to victory at last year's Bahrain Darts Masters, as he claimed the unique date palm trophy to triumph on his World Series debut. 

The reigning champion will begin his defence of the title against PDC Asian Champion Lourence Ilagan, and the teenage sensation is relishing his first outing as World Champion.

 

"I've got a brand new set of darts for tomorrow," revealed Littler, who beat Ilagan on his way to victory at the Grand Slam of Darts in November.

 

"I'm not going to throw with the darts I won the World Championship with - they're going to be in a frame, so now it's about breaking in a new set.

    

Littler is joined in this year’s £100,000 event by seven other top PDC stars - led by world number one Luke Humphries, who won the World Cup of Darts, World Matchplay and Players Championship Finals in 2024.

 

Humphries was unable to retain his World Championship crown at Alexandra Palace, but he will have the opportunity to bounce back when he takes on local qualifier Abdulla Saeed for a place in the quarter-finals.

 

“It’s always great to be back here in Bahrain,” claimed Humphries, who swept aside Saeed at the same stage of last year’s tournament.

 

“I'm really looking forward to this event. We have a great field of players here, and I can't wait for my first game.

 

“It’s been a great couple of years for myself. I had a little bit of heartbreak at the World Championship, but I've had a good break, and I would love to kick off 2025 in perfect fashion by winning this title."

 

World Championship semi-finalists Stephen Bunting and Chris Dobey will make their Bahrain bows on Thursday, as they face India’s Nitin Kumar and Bahrain’s number one Basem Mahmood respectively.

  

Former World Champions Rob Cross and Gerwyn Price have been pitted against Paolo Nebrida and Lok Yin Lee respectively, both of whom impressed at the World Darts Championship.

 

Nebrida dumped out Jim Williams and Ross Smith to become the first Filipino to reach the third round at Alexandra Palace, while Hong Kong’s Lee advanced to the second round on his debut in the capital.

 

Elsewhere, Stockport star Nathan Aspinall begins his challenge against PDC China Champion Xiaochen Zong, with a clash against world number one Humphries potentially awaiting the winner in the last eight.

  

Two-time World Champion Peter Wright completes the line-up of PDC superstars in Bahrain, having ended Humphries’ reign at Ally Pally during his resurgent run to the quarter-finals of the sport's biggest event earlier this month.

 

“It was nice to show the world I could still play darts,” insisted Wright, who will take on PDC Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Alexis Toylo in Thursday’s penultimate first round tie.

 

“I believe there is plenty more to come from me this year, and I’ll have time to rest and be fresher for the floor tournaments and the European Tour away from the Premier League.

 

“I will take a leaf out of the Rob Cross book. He wasn’t in the Premier League and for two years he worked hard and all the results came. That’s why he’s now fourth in the world!”

 

Following Thursday's first round, the 2025 Bahrain Darts Masters concludes on Friday, as the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final take place in one bumper session.

 

The Bahrain Darts Masters will be broadcast live on PDCTV in all territories other than Germany, Austria & Switzerland (coverage via DAZN), while UK viewers can watch live coverage on ITV4 and ITVX.

 

2025 Bahrain Darts Masters

Draw Bracket

(1) Luke Humphries v Abdulla Saeed

Nathan Aspinall v Xiaochen Zong

(4) Stephen Bunting v Nitin Kumar

Chris Dobey v Basem Mahmood

(2) Luke Littler v Lourence Ilagan

Gerwyn Price v Lok Yin Lee

(3) Rob Cross v Paolo Nebrida

Peter Wright v Alexis Toylo

 

Schedule of Play

Thursday January 16 (2000 local time, 1700 GMT)

First Round x8

Rob Cross v Paolo Nebrida

Gerwyn Price v Lok Yin Lee

Stephen Bunting v Nitin Kumar

Chris Dobey v Basem Mahmood

Luke Humphries v Abdulla Saeed

Luke Littler v Lourence Ilagan

Peter Wright v Alexis Toylo

Nathan Aspinall v Xiaochen Zong

 

Friday January 17 (1900 local time, 1600 GMT)

Quarter-Finals

Semi-Finals

Final

 

Format

First Round - Best of 11 legs

Quarter-Finals - Best of 11 legs

Semi-Finals - Best of 13 legs

Final - Best of 15 legs

Read more

Birmingham Mail 15.01.2025
Alan Towe

Birmingham Mail 15.01.2025

As the Harborne and District League reach the quarter-way mark of their season there are still three teams battling it out at the top of the table, all of them having won their opening seven games....

Read more
Humphries reminds us all why he’s the World Number One in the Bahrain qualifier.
PDC

Humphries reminds us all why he’s the World Number One in the Bahrain qualifier.

A flawless Luke Humphries and giant-killer Paolo Nebrida stole the headlines as the PDC World Series of Darts event began. While Littler began his Bahrain Darts Masters title defence. Luke Humphri...

Read more