DARTS – ENGLISH darts superstar Stephen Bunting is upbeat ahead of his highly anticipated title defence in the 2026 Bahrain Darts Masters.
The two-day darts spectacle takes place tonight and tomorrow at Terminal 4 by Beyon in Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB), and Bunting is one of the eight Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) superstars who are headlining the event.
They will be facing eight of Asia’s very best in this evening’s first round of action, scheduled for a 7pm start.
“I’m really looking forward to it – Bahrain was a big tournament for me last year, and it really helped me have a successful season,” Bunting told the GDN last night on the sidelines of the Bahrain Darts Masters’ official draw and autograph session, held at Bahrain Rugby Club in Saar.
“It’s always nice to come to Bahrain,” Bunting added. “I’ve got fond memories from last year, and hopefully I can build on that and retain the title.”
The World Number 7 added: “I’m really enjoy my darts at the moment. It’s vitally important I make a good start this year so I’m looking forward to showing the people of Bahrain what I can do again.
“I’ll give it a good go. Please cheer as loudly as you can!”
With a wildly popular walk-on to ‘Titanium’ and personal hashtag (#LetsGoBuntingMental), The Bullet has become one of darts’ most loved players.
Bunting will be taking on Japan’s Ryusei Azemoto in round one. Being last year’s winner in the kingdom, Bunting expects another tough challenge in his bid to retain his crown.
“There is always a target on your back when you’re coming in as a defending champion,” he said.
“I think playing in a new venue takes a little bit of the pressure off, but it’s just nice to be back here. I expect the fans to be great, and I can’t wait to get started.”
The Bahrain Darts Masters is organised by Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), the PDC, and sports promoter CBX, and is supported by Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority.
Bunting will be joined in this weekend’s extravaganza by a sensational field of darts’ biggest superstars, including recently crowned back-to-back world champion and winner in the kingdom in 2024, Luke Littler, along with 2023-24 world champion Luke Humphries, the World Series of Darts’ most successful player in history Michael van Gerwen, 2020-21 world champion Gerwyn Price, former World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall, world championship runner-up Gian van Veen, and Dutch star Danny Noppert.
Littler will be battling Singapore’s Paul Lim in tonight’s first round, while Humphries will be locking horns with Bahrain’s Abdulla Saeed. Van Gerwen will face the Philippines’ Alexis Toylo, Price will take on Japan’s Motomu Sakai, Aspinall will be playing the Philippines’ Lourence Ilagan, van Veen will square off with Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung, and Noppert will be going up against Bahrain’s Basem Mahmood.
“We’re playing at home, and we are very happy to have qualified for this year’s event,” Mahmood told the GDN yesterday and as he and Saeed get set for their third appearances in the Bahrain Darts Masters. “Our preparations have been good, and we will do our best to achieve a win this time.”
Conducting last night’s draw at Bahrain Rugby Club were BIC CEO Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa and CBX CEO Carlo Boutagy.
“We are very happy to see the success of this event grow year on year, especially now, moving to a new venue at Terminal 4 by Beyon – the capacity is increasing and we are looking forward to everyone coming and enjoying it,” Shaikh Salman told the GDN.
“They just finished the world championship in ‘Ally Pally’ earlier this month, and for them to still be looking forward to coming to Bahrain is really nice to hear.
“For us, we just want the people to enjoy themselves and to have a good championship, and it is also a chance for our Bahraini darts players to take part.”
Those who have yet to purchase their tickets to the 2026 Bahrain Darts Masters may still do so. Only tickets to the all-new Bahrain Darts Masters Grandstand at Terminal 4 by Beyon, costing BD25 apiece for the two days, are still available. Tickets can be purchased online at bahraingp.com or by calling the BIC Hotline on +973-17450000. They will also be available at the door for the grandstand.
Gates at Terminal 4 by Beyon at EWB are scheduled to open at 6pm, with action starting from 7pm on both nights. Today’s opening round will set the stage for the knockouts on day two, which will include the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final.
Fans can expect an incredible atmosphere at the event, with fancy dress, themed activations, and a wide range of food and beverage options as ‘Sport’s Biggest Party’ brings its unique flavour to Bahrain.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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