Manama: Preparations have been completed for the launch of the much-anticipated 2026 Bahrain Darts Masters, the opening round of this year's World Series of Darts, featuring a select group of the world's top players who have arrived in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The two-day tournament will take place on January 15 and 16, at Terminal 4 by Beyon at Exhibition World Bahrain, from 6pm to 11pm.
According to Bahrain News Agency, as part of the build-up to the event, Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), the Home of Motorsport in the Middle East, hosted the official reception and draw ceremony this evening at Bahrain Rugby Club in Saar, attended by all 16 darts players competing in the tournament. The event attracted large numbers of darts fans, who were given the opportunity to take photos with their favourite players and obtain autographs. The first-round match-ups were also confirmed during the ceremony, with the draw conducted by BIC Chief Executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa and CBX Chief Executive Carlo Boutagy.
The tournament is organised by Bahrain International Circuit, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), and sports promoter CBX, with the support of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority. The draw resulted in the following first-round matches: Luke Littler vs Paul Lim; Stephen Bunting vs Ryusei Azemoto; Luke Humphries vs Abdulla Saeed; Michael van Gerwen vs Alexis Toylo; Gerwyn Price vs Motomu Sakai; Nathan Aspinall vs Lourence Ilagan; Gian van Veen vs Man Lok Leung; and Danny Noppert vs Basem Mahmood.