The 2024 PDC World Darts Championship will see several players from the North West bidding to win the biggest tournament in the sport over the next couple of months.
The event, at the Alexandra Palace in London, is attended by many darts fans from Saddleworth each year, and they are likely to be cheering on the local players in the competition.
Prize money of £2.5 million, with £500,000 of that going to the winner, ensures this is the most lucrative darts tournament in the world. It is the event that every darts player, including those in the Saddleworth League, dreams of winning one day.
Smith Looking to Defend His Crown
St Helens’ Michael Smith won the tournament for the first time last year when he defeated Dutchman Michael van Gerwen in the final. He is 10/1 in the darts betting odds to retain his crown and become the first repeat winner since Gary Anderson in 2016.
BREAKING: Michael Smith has beaten three-time World Champion Michael Van Gerwen to win his first World Darts Championship ???????? pic.twitter.com/NcnQFdRDIH
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 3, 2023
Bully Boy is very popular on the darts circuit in the North West where he regularly performs exhibition events. Last season was a breakthrough campaign for him, as he was also successful in the Grand Slam of Darts, his maiden major success on the PDC Tour.
Smith has reached three major semi-finals in 2023. He progressed through to the last four at the World Grand Prix, Premier League of Darts and The Masters. His World Championship defence will start against either Kevin Doets or Stowe Buntz in the second round.
Stockport’s Nathan Aspinall Showed His Class in Blackpool
Many Saddleworth darts fans saw Stockport’s Nathan Aspinall win the biggest event of his career when he landed the World Matchplay in Blackpool earlier this year. The Asp beat Jonny Clayton 18-6 in the final at the Winter Gardens.
In his debut appearance at the Alexandra Palace in 2019, Aspinall reached the semi-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship where he lost to Smith. He goes into this year’s event in good form, as he recently made the final of the World Series of Darts in Amsterdam.
