Impressions from the "Ally Pally" Wasp, tantrum and the dancing Japanese: this is how special the World Darts Championship is
Big show in London with Ricky Evans.
Image: dpa
German Ricardo Pietreczko is through to the third round.
Image: dpa
Paul Lim is considered a darts grandpa at the age of 71.
Image: dpa
Dom Taylor has been banned from the tournament because of a doping suspicion.
Image: dpa
Beau Greaves delivered Ricardo Pietreczko's favorite moment of the World Championship so far.
Image: dpa
Stephen Bunting burst into tears at the press conference. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
Big show in London with Ricky Evans.
Image: dpa
German Ricardo Pietreczko is through to the third round.
Image: dpa
Paul Lim is considered a darts grandpa at the age of 71.
Image: dpa
Dom Taylor has been banned from the tournament because of a doping suspicion.
Image: dpa
Beau Greaves delivered Ricardo Pietreczko's favorite moment of the World Championship so far.
Image: dpa
Stephen Bunting burst into tears at the press conference. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
From the darts grandpa to the dancing Japanese: the World Darts Championship thrills with outsiders, animal moments and emotional outbursts.
24.12.2025, 21:00
25.12.2025, 08:26
dpa
Dancing Minions, boisterous fans, powerful vocal performances and countless pints being passed over the bar every day: The World Darts Championships at London's legendary Alexandra Palace also provide plenty of eye-catchers away from the sporting spectacle. More than 300,000 liters of beer are expected to flow during the tournament.
Numerous stories were also produced on the world's biggest darts stage before the start of the third round on Saturday. German pro Ricardo Pietreczko was not able to easily answer which was his favorite moment. "That's a very good question," he said - and finally found an answer that hardly anyone had expected. Impressions from the first 13 days of the World Championships.
The suspicion of doping
Dom Taylor missed last year's World Championships due to a doping offense. He won his first-round match at this edition and afterwards spoke of the "biggest blow of my life". But just a few days later, he was ruled out again. Again, a positive doping test was the reason. The Welshman Jonny Clayton was the beneficiary, advancing to the next round without a fight.
Two days later, Taylor explained that he had spent years trying to cope with stresses and strains on his own, including strokes of fate in his family. In particular, the death of one of his children and the anniversary of this loss had once again severely affected his mental health. During this phase, he turned to substances again to cope with the situation.
The fan favorites
Whether it's the 71-year-old darts grandpa Paul Lim, the dancing Japanese Motomu Sakai or the Kenyan vet David Munyua: they have all taken the hearts of the fans by storm. Every throw is celebrated and the players themselves often show their gratitude with sometimes outlandish scenes of jubilation. After their sensational victories in round one, Lim and Munyua were both clearly knocked out in the second game.
The fake nine-darter
The highly rated Beau Greaves did not manage to secure the first victory for a woman at the World Championship since 2019. In her duel with Daryl Gurney, however, both spectators and journalists went wild for a few moments.
A graphic flickered on the screen for a moment showing that Greaves had won a leg in just nine throws. That would have been the perfect game. But the image was wrong, it was actually ten. "That was my moment so far," said Pietreczko.
The outburst of anger
Just moments after his first-round exit against Charlie Manby, Cameron Menzies changed sports. He went to his own table on stage and, in the manner of a boxer, punched it three times with his fist from below. The water bottle and other utensils fell down.
He was admonished and met with boos from the audience. He then released a statement saying: "I would like to apologize. There's no excuse for this, but I haven't had an easy time recently."
The tearful outburst
Stephen Bunting could actually have been satisfied after his third-round win. However, after his unchallenged triumph against Nitin Kumar, the Englishman initially struggled for words in the press conference and then even burst into tears. Negative comments on social media may have been the trigger. It took some time for Bunting to regain his composure and answer the remaining questions as if nothing had happened.
The "Ally Pally" wasp
In the meantime, the wasp that repeatedly approaches the darts pros at crucial moments has become something of a legend of the tournament. Lourence Ilagan from the Philippines fled from the insect on stage and let out a piercing scream. Ross Smith also made the wasp's acquaintance and Sebastian Bialecki also lost focus for a moment after the animal briefly settled on his collar. It even briefly sat on the Kenyan Munyua's face.
The end of the favorites
What do the former world champions Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith, the entertainer Dimitri van den Bergh and James Wade have in common? They will all no longer be at Alexandra Palace after Christmas. The World Championships have also been a tournament of surprises so far. Welsh co-favorite Price, for example, lost completely unexpectedly to Dutchman Wesley Plaisier. Top favorite Luke Littler, on the other hand, has come through the tournament unscathed so far.
