£100,000 FOR 2010 BDO LAKESIDE WORLD PROFESSIONAL MEN'S DARTS CHAMPION

The 2010 Lakeside World Professional Men's Champion will receive a cheque for £100,000, and the total prize fund for the Championships will be £325,000 - making it the richest ever in the history of the most prestigious Championships in World Darts.

It's a fitting reward for the players from over thirty countries around the globe who have competed for the right to be in the final field of 32 men and 8 women in the BBC televised Championships from January 2nd to 10th, 2010.

"What a fantastic way to celebrate the 25th year that the BDO has staged the World Pro at Lakeside!", says Olly Croft, Managing Director of BDO Enterprises Ltd, "We are delighted that Bob Potter's commitment and support of these great Championships remains as strong as ever.

"We first came to Lakeside in 1986 and 2010 marks the twenty-fifth consecutive year that Bob has made Lakeside Country Club the undisputed home of world darts. But more than that, since Lakeside became main title sponsor in 2004, the winning cheque for the Men's Champion has doubled to a life changing six-figure sum. It represents a marvellous commitment to BDO darts and coincides with the wonderful news that BBC TV Sport is extending its exclusive contract with the BDO to broadcast the World Pro until 2013.

"In addition, John Smith's and Jackpotjoy.com continue as official Lakeside and BDO shirt patch sponsors respectively, and the World Pro continues to maintain the history of darts at the highest possible participation levels. It is a true world event seen by the biggest TV audiences for darts anywhere in the world.

"We are proud that the World Pro offers not only a wonderful mix of well-known players and emerging talent on an annual basis, but also the finest officials in world darts, the world's premier broadcaster and the No.1 venue in World Darts.

"What a winning combination!"

Played at Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green, Surrey - 'the home of World Darts' - from Saturday, January 2nd to Sunday, January 10th, 2010, the Men's World Professional Championship will celebrate thirty-three years of continuous coverage on BBC (1978 to 2010), while the Women's World Professional Championship will be staged for the tenth consecutive year (2001 to 2010).

"Of course, I am delighted that Lakeside is continuing as main title sponsor of these great Championships for the sixth consecutive year", says Bob Potter, OBE, proprietor of the Lakeside Complex.

"The atmosphere is truly unique, and we are privileged to play host to some of the world's top players - men and women - who produce ever-increasing standards of darts excellence year after year.

"The increase in prize money reflects our ongoing commitment not only to the Championships, but also to the BDO and its players and officials, together with BBC TV Sport, who combine to provide us with top-of-the-bill darts year after year".

Thanks to deals signed by the BDO's international TV distribution partner BBC Worldwide, coverage of the event will be seen throughout Europe on Eurosport, and throughout Asia on Eurosport Asia. Coverage of the whole tournament will also appear on SBS-6 in Holland. (The DFA is currently working hard at trying to get access to Lakeside in some form)

This provides the most diverse TV exposure for any darts Championship anywhere in the world, and collectively produces the biggest global TV audiences for darts.

Eleven players will make their debuts at the 2010 Lakeside World Professional Darts Championships at Frimley Green. Players from 32 countries around the globe have competed to reach the finals. The men's top seed is Tony O'Shea, with reigning Lakeside champion Ted Hankey (right) seeded fifth, and 2007 winner Martin Adams ranked third. Julie Gore is top women's seed, ahead of seven-time champion Trina Gulliver. Francis Hoenselaar of the Netherlands, the women's titleholder, is among the qualifiers.

The 32 players who have qualified for invitation into the first round proper of the men's singles are:
Seeds:
1. Tony O'Shea (Eng)
2. Scott Waites (Eng)
3. Martin Adams (Eng)
4. Darryl Fitton (Eng)
5. Ted Hankey (Eng)
6. Ross Montgomery (Sco)
7. Dave Prins (Eng) *
8. Alan Norris (Swe)
9. Joey Ten Berge (Ned)
10. Martin Atkins (Eng)
11. Steve West (Eng)
12. John Walton (Eng)
13. Mark Barilli (Sco)
14. Scott Mitchell (Eng) *
15. John Henderson (Sco)
16. Ian White (Eng) *
Qualifiers: Willy van de Wiel (Ned); Stephen Bunting (Eng); Brian Woods (Eng), Mareno Michells (Ned), Robert Wagner (Nor); Daryl Gurney (Northern Ireland); Gary Robson (Eng); Martin Phillips (Wales); Paul Hanvidge (Sco); Dave Chisnall (Eng); Garry Thompson (Eng); Martin McCloskey (Republic of Ireland)*; Robbie Green (Eng)*; Tony West (Eng); Paul Carter (Eng)*; Anthony Fleet (Aus)*.

The eight women qualified for invitation are:
Seeds:
1. Julie Gore (Wal)
2. Trina Gulliver (Eng)
3. Irina Armstrong (Rus)*
4. Karen Lawman (Eng)
Qualifiers: Francis Hoenselaar (Ned); Linda Ithurralde (Eng)*; Deta Hedman (Eng)*; Rhian Edwards (Wal)*
* Denotes players making debuts

2010 PRIZE MONEY - MEN:
CHAMPION: £100,000
Runner-up - £30,000
Semi-Finalists - £11,000 x 2
Q/Finalists - £6,000 x 4
2nd Round - £4,250 x 8
1st Round - £3,000 x 16

TOTAL: £258,000

WOMEN:
CHAMPION: £6,000
Runner-Up - £2,000
Joint 3rd - £1,000 x 2
Joint 5th: - £500 x 4

TOTAL: £12,000

Highest Checkout:
Men & Women: £3,000

9-Dart 501
Men & Women: £52,000

TOTAL AVAILABLE PRIZE FUND: £325,000

MEN'S DRAW:
Saturday, January 2nd
Seed
Ian White, England (16) V Stephen Bunting, England
Tony O'Shea, England (1) V Robbie Green, England
Joey Ten Berge, Netherlands (9) V Brian Woods, England
Alan Norris, Sweden (8) V Robert Wagner, Norway
John Walton, England (12) V Willy Van De Wiel, Neth Netherlands
Ted Hankey, England (5) V Gary Robson, England

Sunday, January 3rd
Mark Barilli, Scotland (13) V Tony West, England
Darryl Fitton, England (4) V Dave Chisnall, England
John Henderson, Scotland (15) V Mareno Michells Netherlands
Scott Waites, England (2) V Paul Hanvidge, Scotland
Martin Atkins, England (10) V Paul Carter, England
Dave Prins, England (7) V Martin Phillips, Wales

Monday, January 4th
Steve West, England (11) V Martin McCloskey Rep Of Ireland
Ross Montgomery, Scotland (6) V Garry Thompson, England
Scott Mitchell, England (14) V Daryl Gurney, Northern Ireland
Martin Adams, England (3) V Anthony Fleet, Australia

WOMEN'S DRAW
Saturday, January 2nd
Karen Lawman, England (4) V Linda Ithurralde, England
Julie Gore, Wales (1) V Rhian Edwards, Wales

Sunday, January 3rd
Irina Armstrong, Russia (3) V Deta Hedman, England
Trina Gulliver, England (2) V Francis Hoenselaar, Netherlands

For more information on the British Darts Organisation: www.bdodarts.com
Lakeside website: www.lakesideworlddarts.co.uk