The World Darts Federation are delighted to confirm the 48-man and 24-woman fields for the 2022 Lakeside WDF World Championships. The draw will take place on Tuesday 7th December and will be broadcast on the WDF’s new YouTube channel at 19:00 (UK time).
Invitations were sent to the top ranked players and the winners of platinum/gold events following the completion of the 2021 season, with the final qualification competitions taking place in both Assen and Frimley Green on Sunday 5th December.
Belgium’s Brian Raman heads the list of seeded players as WDF World No.1, with Frenchman Thibault Tricole seeded 2 and the 2020 World Champion Wayne Warren (Wales) in the number 3 position. Familiar names such as Scotland’s Ross Montgomery and the Netherlands’ Richard Veenstra are featured amongst the 16 seeds that go straight through to round two, alongside exciting teenaged debutant Luke Littler (England) and the ‘Dutch Dragon’ now based in the USA, Jules van Dongen.
The next 16 highest placed players will be kept apart in the first-round draw, having qualified by virtue of their position in the WDF World Rankings. They include Lakeside legend and 3-time former champion Martin ‘Wolfie’ Adams, making his 27th World Championship appearance, and Francesco Raschini, who will be the first ever Italian to compete upon the Lakeside stage.
With the top 2 players in each of the 8 WDF regional tables also qualifying for Lakeside, plus the highest ranked players remaining from the main table, the following 12 men have also earned their place, including those tied in equal second place from the Canadian rankings, Shawn Burt and Rory Hansen.
Regional ranking qualifiers Jeremy Fagg (AUS), Landon Gardiner (NZ), Donovan Lottering (AUS), Roman Obukhov (RDF) and Warren Parry (NZ) declined their invitations.
Qualifying competitions took place in both Assen and Frimley Green to complete the 48-man line up. 2020 World Championship semi-finalist Mario Vandenbogaerde (Belgium) and Dutchman Ryan de Vreede came through the qualifier held at de Bonte Wever, with England’s Jarred Cole and Johnny Haines earning their places through the play-off held at the Lakeside.
With the field extended to 24 players and record-breaking prize money, the women’s champion will receive £25,000 on Sunday 9th January. England’s 3-time Lakeside finalist Deta Hedman is the WDF World No.1 and tops the seeding list, ahead of the 3-time former champion, Anastasia Dobromyslova. 2019 runner up Lorraine Winstanley completes the list of seeds that advance to the second round.
The next 8 players from the WDF world rankings also qualify, including former finalist Corrine Hammond and the USA’s No.1 player Paula Murphy. They will be drawn against the 8 names placed below them in the first round.
For the first time in the women’s World Championship, the best players in 8 regions around the world will compete at Lakeside 2022. A total of 12 different nations are represented in the 24-woman field, including Japan’s reigning 2-time champion, ‘Miracle’ Mikuru Suzuki.
WDF World No.3 Fallon Sherrock (Eng) and New Zealand regional ranking No.1 Wendy Harper have declined their invitations.
The two qualification competitions saw 2-time former Lakeside finalist Rhian O’Sullivan win through in Frimley Green, with Marjolein Noijens securing a World Championship debut through the play-off in Assen.
Alongside the qualification competitions for the seniors, the Lakeside WDF World Youth Championships took place on Sunday 5th December, with 2 boys and 1 girl winning their way through from each venue to compete upon the Lakeside stage. The boys’ semi-finals will take place on Saturday 8th January, with separate World Championship finals played for boys and girls for the first time on Sunday 9th. 2019 Lakeside World Youth Champion Leighton Bennett heads the list of teenagers to have qualified, with players from Germany also winning their way through in each competition.
Lakeside Master of Ceremonies ‘Little’ Richard Ashdown will be hosting the draws for the 2022 Lakeside World Championships, which will be made by two former Lakeside champions, 10-time winner Trina Gulliver MBE and the 2015 champion Scott Mitchell.
