Chaos erupts at Darts Grand Prix as venue evacuation halts tournament and games cancelled.
Darts action at the European Grand Prix got a sudden halt when a fire alarm sent shockwaves through the Glaspalast in Germany. Jermaine Wattimena and Daniel Klose were prepped to duke it out in their initial round match on a Friday afternoon in Munich. However, the sudden blare of alarm had both players abandoning their spots and the entire venue being emptied due to safety protocols.
The PDC (Professional Darts Corporation) issued a statement: "An abrupt fire alarm caused the evacuation of the Glaspalast, putting a stop to the impending match between Jermaine Wattimena and Daniel Klose. Owing to the venue's strict safety measures, the afternoon session was consequently wrapped up."
They continued: "The evening session, initially slated to commence at 1900 local time, will instead start afresh with the Wattimena-Klose duel. The remaining scheduled matches for the evening session will subsequently follow."
With darts titans like Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, and Rob Cross participating in the tournament, excitement was building. An impressive £175,000 prize pool was up for grabs, with the triumphant victor set to pocket £30,000.
Last year's champion, Gary Anderson, would return to the scene tomorrow to square off against Gian van Veen in the second round. As evening play was set to continue, a few intriguing match-ups surfaced, including the much-anticipated clash between Raymond van Barneveld and Krzysztof Ratajski.
Ryan Searle was poised to engage in a contest with Niels Zonneveld, while Ross Smith was set for a showdown against Paul Krohne. However, darts world champion Luke Littler wouldn't be making an appearance after withdrawing from the field. Littler, in a cryptic social media post, had hinted his withdrawal from events in Germany following a loss to Van Veen in the German Darts Grand Prix semi-finals.
"I shouldn't have been in Munich, but I had to participate anyway," Littler declared after his defeat. "My next appearance in Germany will be in Dortmund, and I'm pleased to confirm that." This tease was in reference to the European Tour final scheduled for October in Dortmund.
The Premier League, a popular football competition, was in contrast to the unexpected halt at the European Grand Prix Darts event, where the Glaspalast was evacuated due to a fire alarm. The incident disrupted Jermaine Wattimena and Daniel Klose's initial round match and forced an abrupt end to the afternoon session. However, the evening session was rescheduled to start fresh with the Wattimena-Klose duel, as the PDC added that other scheduled matches would follow. Meanwhile, the excitement for the EU Darts Grand Prix was not dampened, with stars like Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen competing for a substantial prize pool. The tournament continued with interesting matchups, such as the clash between Raymond van Barneveld and Krzysztof Ratajski, despite the withdrawal of darts world champion Luke Littler.
