Fallon Sherrock became the first woman to win a match at the World Darts Championship in 2019 A minimum of four women will compete at the 2025-26 World Darts Championship after the Professional Darts Corporation announced a new qualifying structure. This year's event will have an expanded field of 128 players, up from 96 in 2024-25, with the winner taking home£1m of a £5m prize pot. A further change will mean seeded players - such as defending champion Luke Littler and Premier League winner Luke Humphries - enter the tournament in the first round, rather than the second. The 32 seeds will be joined by players ranked 33-64, and drawn at random into the left side of the draw against the remaining 64 qualifiers. "The expansion of the tournament will provide players from the PDC's global affiliate tours and secondary tours with further opportunities to compete on the sport's biggest stage," the PDC said. "This will include a minimum of four women in the 128-player field." They will be the winner of the PDC Women's World Matchplay, plus the PDC Women's Series winner, runner-up and third-place player. Previously the most women to compete in a single year at darts' most prestigious event was three when Lisa Ashton, Fallon Sherrock and Beau Greaves all played in 2022-23. Gayl King was the first woman to play at the World Championship in 2000-01, while Sherrock made history as the first femaleto win a match at the tournamentin 2019-20. The 2025-26 Championship will take place at Alexandra Palace in London, beginning in December and finishing in early January.
At least four women in expanded World Darts Championship
TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:
"World Darts Championship to Feature Minimum of Four Women in 2025-26 Event"
Bbc News
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TruthLens AI Summary
The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has announced a significant expansion for the upcoming 2025-26 World Darts Championship, which will now feature a minimum of four female competitors. This change follows the historic participation of women in the tournament, which began with Gayl King being the first woman to compete in the 2000-01 Championship. The landmark moment for female players came in 2019 when Fallon Sherrock became the first woman to win a match at the World Darts Championship, paving the way for greater inclusion in the sport. The 2025-26 Championship will expand its field to 128 players, an increase from 96 in the previous year, with a total prize pool of £5 million, where the winner will receive £1 million. The new format will allow seeded players, including the defending champion Luke Littler and Premier League winner Luke Humphries, to enter the tournament in the first round, enhancing the competitive structure of the event.
In the revised structure, the four women who will compete will be selected from the PDC Women's World Matchplay, as well as the winners and top finishers of the PDC Women's Series. This change marks a notable increase from the previous record of three women competing in a single year, which occurred during the 2022-23 Championship with Lisa Ashton, Fallon Sherrock, and Beau Greaves. The PDC stated that this expansion aims to provide players from its global affiliate tours and secondary tours with more opportunities to showcase their talents on a prominent stage. The 2025-26 World Darts Championship is set to take place at Alexandra Palace in London, commencing in December and concluding in early January, promising an exciting tournament for both players and fans alike.
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