Although there will be no Spanish representation at this year’s event, the 2022 PDC World Darts Championship is still set to be one of the most anticipated events on the festive sporting calendar.

The prestigious tournament, which takes place at the famous Alexandra Palace in North London, gets underway on December 15th and concludes at the beginning of January. With a prize fund of £2.5 million, the three-week showdown always tends to deliver on quality and with 96 players all hoping to get their hands on the iconic Sid Waddell Trophy, it is expected to be another suitably competitive and enthralling spectacle.

Notable Players at the PDC World Dart’s Championship

All eyes will be on reigning champion Gerwyn Price as the Welshman aims to defend his crown and become the first back-to-back winner since Gary Anderson in 2016. He is 4/1 in the latest darts betting to continue his excellent form, although he will face stiff competition from previous winners Michael Van Gerwen and Peter Wright.

This trio of competitors will be joined by the remainder of the top 32 in the PDC Order of Merit with the likes of Dimitri Van Den Bergh and Nathan Aspinall both expected to reach the latter stages of the competition.

Ky and Raymond are set to make history at this year’s event when they will become the first father and son duo to compete at the same World Dart’s Championship. Fabian Schmutzler has also secured his place at the tournament and is set to be the second youngest player in the history of the competition.

Raymond Van Barneveld, who announced that he was coming out of retirement in September 2020, has also qualified for the tournament via the Pro Tour Order of Merit.

There are also a number of international qualifiers including Lisa Ashton, Charles Losper, John Norman Jr and Fallon Sherrock. The latter made an historic appearance at the 2019 PDC World Dart’s Championship and will be hoping to make a similar impression this time around.

Unfortunately, Toni Alcinas and Cristo Reyes, who have competed in previous stagings of this event, have failed to qualify for this year’s tournament.

Tournament Format

With 96 players taking to the Oche during the three-week period, there are always plenty of matches to enjoy at the tournament. The 64 qualifiers will compete in the first round of the event, with the top 32 players from the PDC Order of Merit entering at the second round stage.

Players who make it to the quarter-final stage of the tournament will continue to play best of nine sets whereas competitors who reach the final four will be asked to complete 11 sets. The two finalists will typically play their part in an absorbing “best of 13 sets” contest at the beginning of January.

Who is Fancied to Win?

Gerwyn Price has understandably been priced up as the favourite for this year’s tournament. The Welshman is joined by fellow countryman Jonny Clayton and Portuguese hotshot Jose de Sousa. Rob Cross, who was a surprise winner of this competition in 2018, is relatively unfancied alongside the injury-prone Gary Anderson.

Where Can I Watch the World Dart’s Championship?

Spanish sports fans can watch the entire tournament on GOL TV. Subscribers can enjoy all of the action across the three weeks, alongside additional analysis, highlights and replays of classic matches via the official PDC website.

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