Gibraltar Open weekend marks another milestone for darts association

Gibraltar darts continues to push its own boundaries, learning from years of hosting major events and building on its success both locally and internationally. There was no better demonstration of this than the recent Gibraltar Darts Open, which saw a higher calibre of players attending from across Europe while, at the same time, showcasing Gibraltar’s own growing talents, now extending from senior levels into its youth ranks.
The younger generation continues to develop, with players looking to secure ranking positions at senior level as the sport continues to grow through its grassroots foundations.
The Gibraltar Darts Open was not only a success for the sport itself; it also marked another milestone in Gibraltar’s push towards becoming a sports-event-oriented destination. With the hosting of the Netball World Youth Cup, World Youth Darts Championships, Blackball Nations Cup, Squash Open events and the latest FIBA Small Countries Championships, Gibraltar has already seen the 2025/26 sporting season produce a wide range of successfully hosted major international events, adding to the territory’s established reputation for hosting international football fixtures.
The Gibraltar Darts Association’s Open Weekend added yet another success story to Gibraltar’s growing list of locally hosted events with an international flavour.
The Gibraltar Darts Association’s Gibraltar Open Weekend has been hailed as a historic success, with the 20th edition of the Gibraltar Open delivering a celebration of international darts, outstanding performances and a significant milestone for the sport locally.
Held at the Europa Sports Complex, the weekend brought together players from Gibraltar and across Europe and the world, with competitors from England, Scotland, Germany, Spain, the USA, Latvia and beyond taking to the oche across the Open, Ladies and youth categories.
The Gibraltar Open, the association’s flagship event, has played an important role over two decades in showcasing Gibraltar darts on the international stage, and this year’s edition further strengthened the tournament’s reputation.
The calibre of the field was highlighted by the participation of Mitchell Lawrie, the current WDF Main Ranking Open world number one, and Jenson Walker, ranked number two in the same ranking. Lawrie would go on to claim the Men’s Gibraltar Open title, adding his name to the list of champions of the prestigious competition.
In the Men’s final, Lawrie defeated Germany’s Marcus Maier 5–2, producing a 93.69 average in the deciding match. His route to the title included a 91.09 average in his quarter-final victory over Nick Fullwell.
Maier had produced a strong tournament run himself, including a 95.11 average against Dave Ladley before reaching the final.
The Men’s event also saw a number of standout performances, including Daniel Zapata’s 105.47 average in his last-16 victory over William Borland, who himself averaged 93.11 in the match. Dom Taylor also impressed with a 98.44 average against Jesus Salate, while Ryan Branley delivered a memorable performance by reaching the semi-finals of the Men’s competition while also competing in the youth event.
The Gibraltar Classic, held as part of the weekend’s events, also provided a high standard of competition.
Experienced English player Matt Clark claimed the Gibraltar Classic Open title after a dramatic final against Jenson Walker, winning 5–4 in a match that went down to the wire. Clark averaged 83.84, while Walker finished with a 78.75 average.
Clark’s route to the final included victories over Jesus Salate in the quarter-finals and Mitchell Lawrie in the semi-finals, where Lawrie produced an impressive 90.47 average despite the defeat. Walker reached the final after beating Anthony Brown 4–0 and Marcus Maier 4–2 in the knockout stages.
The Ladies categories saw success for Paula Jacklin, who claimed both the Gibraltar Classic and Gibraltar Open titles.
In the Gibraltar Classic Ladies final, Jacklin defeated Germany’s Irina Armstrong 5–2. Armstrong recorded the higher average in the final with 61.80, but Jacklin’s experience and finishing on the doubles proved decisive.
Jacklin had reached the final after defeating Lisa Vandekerckhove 4–2, while Armstrong overcame Tami Kelley in a closely fought 4–3 semi-final.
In the Gibraltar Open Ladies final, Jacklin again produced a composed display, defeating Lisa Vandekerckhove 5–1. She had earlier recorded a 63.28 average in her quarter-final victory over Laima Upeniece.
The youth competitions also produced impressive performances, with Ryan Branley claiming the Gibraltar Open Youth title after defeating Mason Tees 5–2 in the final.
Branley averaged 89.50 in the final and was one of the standout performers throughout the tournament, including a remarkable 103.66 average in his quarter-final victory over Gibraltar’s Nico Bado.
Tees also enjoyed an excellent run to the final, including an 84.03 average against Jack Johnson and an 80.95 average in a close semi-final victory over Olly Wrench.
There were also strong performances from Gibraltar’s representatives throughout the weekend, with local players competing across all categories.
Craig Galliano was highlighted as the standout performer from the Gibraltar delegation in the Gibraltar Classic Open, reaching the quarter-finals after an excellent 4–3 victory over William Borland in the last 16 before eventually losing to Germany’s Marcus Maier.
Other Gibraltar players who featured during the weekend included Nico Bado, Ethan Pulham, Helen Olivero, Nya Fa, Erika Ward, Jyzen Garcia and Ollie Pratts, contributing to what the association described as a memorable occasion for Gibraltar darts.
Beyond the action on the oche, the Gibraltar Open Weekend also marked a significant achievement in bringing the sport to a wider audience.
The Gibraltar Darts Association revealed that 8,500 people tuned in to watch the darts live throughout the weekend, a figure described as an incredible achievement for the association’s first full weekend of darts events.
The live stream was sponsored by Martillo Limited, allowing fans around the world to follow the competition. The association also thanked Justin Broton, Mark Walker and Cedric Ramirez for their work in setting up and supporting the stream throughout the weekend.
The success of the event was also attributed to the efforts of the many volunteers, officials, markers, scorers, sponsors and supporters who helped deliver the tournament.
The association thanked all those involved, including Justin Broton, Darren Olivero, Mark Walker, Kirei Walker, Leslie Ward, Juan Carlos Muñoz, Nicky Fortunato, Ethan Smith, Bryanna Tosso, Isabel Walker, Cedric Ramirez, Nicholai Bado, Ashley Mayanga, Glen Pratts, Adam Santos, Aidan Santos, Adam Chrayeh, Colin Torres, Jon Byrne, Kirsty Grattage, Helen Olivero, Jeremy Cruz, Luan Cawston, Joe Ignacio and Jayne Wink.
Special recognition was given to Justin Broton, Darren Olivero, Mark Walker and Nicholai Bado for their contribution to the success of the event.
The Gibraltar Darts Association also expressed its gratitude to the GSLA team at Europa Point, the Ministry of Sport, sponsors Martillo, Digital Corner and Lewis Stagnetto, as well as Top Dogs for providing catering throughout the weekend.
Gibraltar Darts Association President Alex Nuñez said the weekend showed what could be achieved through passion, commitment and teamwork.
“This weekend has shown what can be achieved when people come together with passion, commitment and pride. I could not be prouder of everyone involved,” he said.
With the 20th edition of the Gibraltar Open now added to the tournament’s history, the weekend represented another important chapter for darts in Gibraltar, celebrating the continued growth of the sport and the dedication of those working behind the scenes to develop it.

Images courtesy Gibraltar Darts Association