The Bahrain And Saudi Arabia Darts Masters- Three Things We Learned

The 2026 PDC cycle got well and truly underway this week with two invitational World Series events in Asia. This gave fans a glimpse of what they might expect to see from some of the Premier League eight whilst also giving exposure to the Asian tour stars that usually only make appearances on mainstream TV for The Grand Slam and the World Championships.

With the Premier League just two weeks away, what did we learn about who might make an impact in the journey to the O2 and who, from the Asian participants, should think about making a leap for a PDC tour card next year.

Michael van Gerwen’s statement win

One of the stories from the World Championships was Gian van Veen’s run to the final and subsequent dethroning of Michael van Gerwen as the PDC Dutch number one. This is a position that The Green Machine has held since October 2012.

Despite this, van Veen has had a superb year on tour and won his first major in October at the European Championships, defeating van Gerwen on his way to the title.

For someone used to being so dominant in the sport, particularly in his home country, seeing a 23-year-old take his position will be a shock to the system.

However, the Bahrain Darts Masters final provided the perfect opportunity for an early statement win as Van Gerwen faced his Dutch counterpart.

Experience won the day as with a ton plus average and 66% conversation rate on the doubles van Gerwen ran out an 8-6 victor and continued his good form to Saudi Arabia where he was narrowly denied a second title of the week by Luke Littler.

If these early signs are anything to go by the old Michael Van Gerwen could return in 2026 to reclaim his crown.

Danny Noppert’s Prem exclusion the correct decision?

As ever with the Premier League selection there were some players who were unfortunate to miss out on a spot and perhaps the man who can feel most aggrieved at being left out is Danny Noppert.

The 35-year-old enjoyed his best year to date in 2025, reaching four major semi-finals with a seasonal average of almost 95. Even though this wasn’t enough to make his Premier League debut it did earn him a call up for the World Series events this week, where he failed to make a significant impact.

The Dutchman won just one game over the two tournaments against Bassim Mahmood who averaged only 74. In his Bahrain quarter final, he was well between by Van Veen before losing in his last-16 tie against Man Lok Leung in Saudi Arabia, making him the only PDC star to lose an opening round match in either tournament

Granted, this is just two short form matches, and the lack of form could be due to inexperience playing in Asia. However, these world series appearances could indicate that a Premier League debut may have come a year too early for Noppert who would’ve been competing against the very best for 16 weeks straight.

Is Man Lok Leung ready for the Pro Tour?

The quality of darts in Asia has been slowly improving over the last few years largely due to the PDC Asian tour, launched in 2018. One of the most consistent players to come out of those events is Hong Kong international Man Lok Leung.

Currently ranked third in the Asian Tour Order of Merit, the 26-year-old has impressed several times in major PDC events including a first-round win against none other than Gian van Veen in the 2024 World Championship. He was also a major factor in Hong Kong’s journey to the quarterfinals of the World Cup last year, smashing in a 94 average alongside fellow countryman Lok Ying Lee against Sweden in one of the performances of the tournament.

Despite his talent though, Leung has previously been hesitant to attempt to win a Tour Card at Q-School sighting financial pressure as a reason for sticking to the Asian Tour.

However, after becoming the only Asian player to win a match over the two tournaments this week Leung hinted at the possibility of going to Q-School next year in pursuit of a tour card. When speaking to Online Darts he said: "I have a plan, maybe next year I will join Q-School I want to get a Tour Card."

There is currently no Asian representatives playing on the PDC Pro Tour largely since the financial incentives to make the move to Europe are only viable if players are successful enough to reap the benefits of high paying TV tournaments and in turn sponsorships.

In the last 12 months Leung has averaged around 88 which is not far off the level required to compete well on the Pro Tour. Another big year for the man from Hong Kong could be enough to sway Leung into making an attempt at Q-School one that, if successful, could have huge positive ramifications for Asian darts.