The 2026 Bahrain Darts Masters has exploded into action, with teenage sensation Luke Littler and reigning World Champion Luke Humphries delivering sensational, dominant performances in the opening round. Both ‘The Nuke’ and ‘Cool Hand Luke’ swept aside their opponents with impressive averages, signaling their intent for the title. While other top stars like Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen faced tougher challenges, the tournament also saw a historic moment for local darts, alongside a curious new broadcast innovation. Get ready for thrilling darts action as the quarterfinals loom!
Darts Dominance: Littler and Humphries Shine Bright
The opening night of the Bahrain Darts Masters truly belonged to two players: Luke Littler and Luke Humphries. Both demonstrated why they are considered the sport’s brightest talents, making quick work of their opponents.
- Luke Littler, the darting prodigy, showcased his immense talent in a generational clash against darts legend Paul Lim. ‘The Nuke’ secured a commanding 6-1 victory, boasting an incredible 106.50 average. After an even start, a stunning 170 checkout ignited Littler’s performance, followed by a 121 finish, allowing him to win three legs in just 35 darts. Lim simply couldn’t keep pace.
- Luke Humphries, the reigning World Champion, continued his formidable form by delivering a devastating 6-0 whitewash against Abdulla Saeed. This marks the third consecutive year Humphries has achieved a clean sweep against Saeed in Bahrain. ‘Cool Hand Luke’ also left the stage with a remarkable three-figure average of 103.66, narrowly missing a 161 checkout from his Bahraini opponent in the final leg before sealing the win.
Top Stars Face Early Tests
While Littler and Humphries cruised, other top-ranked players found their opening matches far more challenging, having to dig deep to secure their spots in the quarterfinals.
- Gerwyn Price, ‘The Iceman’, had to battle hard for a 6-4 win against Japan’s Motomu Sakai. Sakai squandered multiple opportunities, converting only 4 of his 17 attempts at a double. Crucially, he missed three darts for a potential 5-4 lead, a lapse Price capitalized on with an emphatic 11-dart finish to close out the match, demonstrating his class when it mattered most.
- Nathan Aspinall also faced a stern test against Lourence Ilagan, ultimately winning 6-4. Two years prior, Ilagan had even held a match dart against ‘The Asp’ in Bahrain. This time, the Filipino missed three chances to take a 5-4 lead, and despite a brilliant 80 checkout to level at 4-4, Aspinall eventually pulled away for the victory.
- Michael van Gerwen, ‘Mighty Mike’, was pushed hard by Alexis Toylo in his 6-4 win. Van Gerwen struggled to secure a break of throw for much of the match. With the score tied at 4-4, Toylo missed a crucial 110 checkout, allowing Van Gerwen to pounce and seal the match with a perfect setup shot followed by a successful double, concluding with a 15-dart leg.
Other Notable First Round Clashes and a Historic Moment
The first round also featured several other exciting matches and a memorable moment for local darts.
- Danny Noppert defeated Basem Mahmood 6-1. Despite the scoreline, Mahmood made history by becoming only the second Bahraini player, after Abdulnasser Yusuf, to win a leg on the big stage. This achievement brought a huge smile to his face, even forcing Noppert to survive a break dart to clinch the match.
- Gian van Veen secured a 6-2 victory against Man Lok Leung. Leung initially held a 2-1 lead but Van Veen found his rhythm, finishing strongly with legs of 15, 17, and 13 darts.
- Stephen Bunting comfortably beat Japan’s Ryusei Azemoto 6-2. Azemoto, much like his compatriot Sakai, struggled significantly on his doubles, hitting only a dismal 12% of his attempts, allowing Bunting to build a commanding 5-1 lead before closing out the match on his tenth attempt at a double.
A Glimpse Behind the Scenes: Broadcast Innovation
The Bahrain Darts Masters also marked a significant change in its broadcast production. For the first time in nearly two decades, the tournament, while still shown on a major English broadcaster, is no longer produced by them. The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has taken the reins, experimenting with a new graphic style that features circular, filling-level visuals for player scores. It remains to be seen if this innovative approach will become a permanent fixture in darts broadcasts.
The Road Ahead: Quarterfinals and Beyond
The stage is now set for an exhilarating second day of action, featuring the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the grand final.
Quarterfinal Matchups:
- Luke Littler vs. Gerwyn Price
- Michael van Gerwen vs. Stephen Bunting
- Luke Humphries vs. Nathan Aspinall
- Gian van Veen vs. Danny Noppert
The tournament format progresses as follows:
- First Round & Quarterfinals: Best of 11 Legs
- Semifinals: Best of 13 Legs
- Final: Best of 15 Legs
Prize Money and World Series Stakes
The Bahrain Darts Masters offers a substantial prize fund and crucial points towards the World Series of Darts ranking, which determines qualification for the prestigious World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam.
Prize Money Breakdown (per tournament):
- Winner: £30,000 (12 World Series Points)
- Runner-Up: £16,000 (8 World Series Points)
- Semifinalists: £10,000 (5 World Series Points)
- Quarterfinalists: £5,000 (3 World Series Points)
- First Round: £1,750 (1 World Series Point)
The total prize fund for the tournament is £100,000. It’s important to note that this prize money does not count towards the PDC Order of Merit (World Ranking).
Source: Based on an article from dartn.de.
