The World Darts Federation (WDF) alongside the hosts and sponsors have taken the decision to postpone the Lakeside World Championship which was due to take place between 3-9 January 2022.
The reason being Covid-19 concerns with the new Omicron variant which could lead to further government restrictions being implemented.
As a result, the tournament dates have been set for three months later, with Lakeside 2022 now being held from Saturday 2nd to Sunday 10th April 2022.
“Clearly this is a disappointing decision to have to make, especially as momentum and excitement was building around the return to Lakeside,” said WDF Secretary General Nick Rolls. “But the health and safety of our players and supporters must be our first priority.”
“Travel is also becoming increasingly restrictive, and with so many players to consider coming from overseas, it is essential to the WDF and their member nations that they are still able to compete in what is truly a global championship. We hope that having now rescheduled, it keeps those players dreams alive from all over the world.”
WDF Chief Development Officer Richard Ashdown added, “The whole initiative behind the WDF World Championships is to provide an end of season finale for the players as reward for their efforts over the season.”
“For the players to experience the Lakeside to its full potential, it is important that those competing, as well as the fans who come along to support can do so with as little restriction as possible and in the safest environment that we can provide. Our thanks go out to our broadcast partners Eurosport/Discovery+ and our host/sponsors the Lakeside for rearranging their schedules so quickly.”