The 2022/23 Cazoo World Darts Championship will begin at London’s Alexandra Palace on Thursday, as reigning champion Peter Wright kicks off his title defence on a stellar opening night.
This year marks the 30th staging of the PDC World Championship, as 96 players from around the world compete for £2.5 million in prize money and the coveted Sid Waddell Trophy.
The festive feast of darts – which runs from Thursday December 15 through to the final on Tuesday January 3 – will see 22 debutants and 28 countries represented in the global showpiece.
Wright will begin his bid for a third World Championship crown in four years against either Northern Ireland’s Mickey Mansell or New Zealand’s number one Ben Robb in Thursday’s headline act.
The Scot withdrew from last month’s Players Championship Finals with his wife Jo in hospital, but after receiving positive news last week, Wright heads to the capital in bullish mood.
“Jo’s really good now, we’ve got through all the bad bits,” Wright revealed. “She is recovering well and has received an all-clear from all the doctor and surgeons.
“I’ve been on the practice board, but I was just like a zombie, my head was not there at all. It’s been hard work. That’s all changed now.
“I think I can go and win it again. It would mean a lot if I can win it back-to-back and join the elite to win it three times in the PDC – only Phil Taylor and Michael [van Gerwen] have done that.”
Alongside the £500,000 top prize for the eventual champion, players will again be competing to win a special £50,000 bonus on offer from PDC partner Selco, for the first player to hit two nine-dart finishes in this year’s event.
Should a player achieve that feat – which would be a World Championship first – a further £50,000 would be shared between one lucky fan who registered via www.selcobw.com/info/100kdarts and Selco’s nominated charity, Cancer Research UK.
The tournament will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC’s worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).
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Images: PDC
