Rashad Sweeting may have been knocked out of the PDC World Darts Championship on his Alexandra Palace debut, but he still left with a smile on his face
Rashad Sweeting may have been knocked out of the PDC World Darts Championship on his Alexandra Palace debut, but he still left with a smile on his face Rashad Sweeting may have been knocked out of the PDC World Darts Championship on his Alexandra Palace debut, but he still left with a smile on his face
While Rashad Sweeting may have bowed out of the PDC World Championship, he left with an unexpected early Christmas present.
The Bahamian dart ace, 34, quickly won over the crowd in his first-round clash with Jeffrey de Graaf at Alexandra Palace. It was a significant moment in Sweeting’s career as he stepped up to the iconic venue for the first time.
Keeping his cool, he won the first set and thrilled fans by sinking three 180s throughout the match, even borrowing the ‘cold’ celebration from Chelsea’s Cole Palmer. His calmness on the oche and flair for theatrics almost gave him a two-set lead as he edged closer to a shock win at the World Championship.
However, his desire to entertain ended up costing him a crucial leg that sent De Graaf on his way to win the match 3-1. Despite this, Sweeting’s efforts to put on a show didn’t go unnoticed—Paddy Power generously covered his trip back home.
Faced with 194 to close out set two and spurred on by audience roars, he aimed for another maximum, leaving himself with a tricky D7 finish. Opting to split his checkout, Sweeting missed two stabs at D4, allowing his opponent to steal the set. Still, ‘The Candyman’ saw the funny side.
“The next time it comes to a 180 and it leaves me on a double like that, I am not going to do it,” he quipped. “Sorry if you boo me, but I’m not going to do it. But the first time, I said ok, I’ll do it for the crowd, I’ve got you!”
Sweeting’s crowd-pleasing antics prompted Paddy Power to cover his travel expenses. “Rashad Sweeting’s tournament run may not have lasted long, but he’ll be fondly remembered by the buoyant Ally Pally crowd and those watching on TV,” a spokesperson for Paddy Power said. “He went for the 180 when he probably shouldn’t have, and that’s got to be worth a pat on the back – or, in this case – paying for his seat on the plane!”
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The Bahamian managed to raise £3k for Prostate Cancer UK through his 180s, contributing to The Bigger 180 Campaign’s tournament total of £281k. It was an unforgettable experience for Sweeting, who also had an unexpected encounter with reigning world champion Luke Humphries.
“I’m going to tell you the funny story,” Sweeting grinned. “I was in the room practising upstairs in the hotel, and I was throwing darts. I heard a swipe on the door. It was jammed as if the person had trouble getting in. I thought it was the cleaners.
“He said, ‘No, no, you’re good, you’re good,’ and we started a conversation from there. He gave me courage and advice about the game and what to expect. And he asked me about my country – how it starts there. Very cool guy. Very cool. I love it, man.”
Sweeting was delighted when he later saw Humphries speaking about their interaction. “I was in my room, and somebody told me, ‘Rashad, look, Luke Humphries has mentioned you,'” Sweeting added. “He didn’t remember my name, but I’m the only one here [from the Bahamas]. It’s still awesome.”
Humphries smoothly made his way into the third round after his win against Thibault Tricole in straight sets and is now set to take on either the legendary Raymond van Barneveld or Welsh player Nick Kenny.
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