From Friday, August 29th to Sunday, August 31st, the world’s elite in darts will once again take to the stage at Antwerp Expo for the second edition of the Blåkläder Flanders Darts Trophy. Reigning world champion Luke Littler will be the main attraction. Defending champion Dave Chisnall and six other former world champions will also be in attendance, as will home favorite Mike De Decker.
This weekend, Antwerp Expo will once again be transformed into a giant darts arena. Spread over three days, with afternoon and evening sessions each day, 15,000 darts fans will attend the Blåkläder Flanders Darts Trophy. The first round is scheduled for Friday, the second on Saturday. The round of 16 will be played on Sunday afternoon, followed by the climax on Sunday evening with the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final.
The Blåkläder Flanders Darts Trophy is the second Belgian round of the PDC European Tour, following the Lecot Belgian Darts Open in Wieze this spring. Belgians will be especially excited about Mike De Decker, who reached the final at the Oktoberhallen in Wieze. De Decker will face Englishman Martin Lukeman in the first round on Friday evening. Four other Belgians have qualified for the main draw through the Host Nation Qualifier: Mario Vandenbogaerde, François Schweyen, Kim Huybrechts and Xanti Van den Bergh.
Almost the entire world elite will be present in Antwerp Expo, led by world champion Luke Littler. Former world champions Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith, Peter Wright, Gerwyn Price, Rob Cross, and Raymond van Barneveld will also be there in Antwerp. Add to that the defending champion Dave Chisnall, Stephen Bunting, James Wade, Jonny Clayton, Chris Dobey, and Damon Heta, and you have a pretty incredible field.
This weekend, 48 players will compete Blåkläder Flanders Darts Trophy for a prize pool of €203,000. The 16 highest-seeded players will be in action starting in the second round on Saturday morning. The evening sessions on Saturday and Sunday are almost sold out. Tickets are limited available online. Tickets for the four other sessions can be purchased online or at Antwerp Expo at the doors.
For those unable to watch in person, live coverage can be found on vtm2, vtmgo, and rtl play.
Antwerp Alderman for Sports, Stijn De Rooster: “The first edition confirmed that we managed to bring a big fish to Antwerp with the Blåkläder Flanders Darts Trophy. The enthusiastic fans pulled out all the stops to give the world’s top players a boost on stage. This year, we’re transforming Antwerp Expo into a vibrant darts arena and aiming for a full house to match or even surpass that unique experience and unparalleled atmosphere. Chauvinistic as we are, we also hope that our Antwerp darts players will impress their home crowd.”