Another record breaking World Championship event hosted in Gibraltar as JDC extends contract

Gibraltar Darts Association, alongside the main organisers, the Junior Darts Corporation, once again pulled off another first for Gibraltar with a record 265 participants playing in the JDC World Championship events throughout last week.
The JDC World Championship event, the second major youth sports event hosted on the Rock since this summer. Just this past Sepetember Europa Sports complex also having been one of the host venues for the Netball World Youth Cup which saw over 60 million viewers following the tournament.
With Gibraltar quickly starting to gain a positive reputation as an international sports-event host, with World and European championship events already being hosted across some of its many sports, the continued presence of the Junior Darts World Cup on the Rock, signals a further feather to its cap in relation to its achievements. Organisers having extended their agreement with the Gibraltar Government to continue hosting on the Rock after their initial five year agreement had expired.
Arriving from across the world, the week saw what was the largest contingent of junior players converge on the Rock. Having started with just over one hundred competitors, the JDC event has grown in popularity, reaching a wider spread of countries and adding to the numbers participating.
The increased number of countries, alongside the rise in participants, also saw a growth in the number of spectators attending events from last Monday all the way through to Friday’s finals.
Packed spectator stands saw the GSLA forced to open their higher tier of seats above the main stand in order to allow more spectators to watch. With all seats taken from early in the mornings, many standing spectators packed the sports halls, providing a unique and vibrant ambience enjoyed by all.
Two main open events were seen on the first days of play before the World Cup events were to take place.
Although the Gibraltar teams were not to reach the final stages—Gibraltar A getting past the group stage but unable to force their way closer to the finals—the talent on show was to provide many a story. England, the favourites and defending champions, lifted the trophy once again.
Gibraltar topped their group and reached the final day, while Gibraltar B secured their first-ever win at the World Cup, described as a “brilliant step forward” by GDA President Alex Nunez.
Gibraltar was to see some of its top young talents bidding to stamp their own mark on the international stage, following in the footsteps of the likes of Galliano and Hewitt, who have since entered the professional side of darts at senior level.
Prepared by other well-known names in youth darts, such as Ethan Smith, Sean Negrette, and Nicholas Fortunato, Gibraltar was to see its next generation of young talents taking on some of the world’s top junior darts players.
Importantly for the GDA, the event—whilst organised by the JDC—saw the GDA, as hosts, providing the main backbone in staging the tournament. Volunteers, including players and family members, spent their free time before the event fitting panels and boards as they prepared the stage for the 265 participants. Gibraltar darts once again united to ensure another successful event.
The week-long programme was not only to see a gala dinner event at the Sunborn early in the week. Just prior to the start of the main World Cup event, the Minister for Economic Development attended the official opening of the Junior World Cup Darts, marking the start of the Junior Darts Corporation Week.
Highlighting the importance of hosting such an event, which will continue on the Rock until at least 2027 following an extension of the contract earlier this year, Mr Bossano addressed participants:
“Thank you very much. It’s a real pleasure to have this opportunity to see at first sight the wonderful place we’ve got here and to have the opportunity to welcome all the countries. Gibraltar is always a very open place, and you make us very happy when you come here to join with us and show how important it is that young people should get to know each other from other parts of the world, learn from each other, and have an enjoyable competition where the best will win. And I wish you all the best of our Gibraltar luck.”
The Minister also highlighted Gibraltar’s pride in its own young athletes, who had successfully progressed into the final phase of the competition. With strong performances, Team Gibraltar were to compete in the grand finale, playing on the final day of competition, although not progressing further.
Mr Bossano also praised the organisers of the Junior Darts Corporation Week for their dedication to promoting youth sport, international friendship, and cultural exchange.
Minister for Sport Leslie Bruzon also visited the event, meeting both players and organisers as Gibraltar continues to forge its partnership with the JDC towards further developing the event in the coming years.
Although having initiall seen the PDC event no longer taking place on the Rock. The presence of the JDC event has not only added to the interest of the sport locally, but has continued to provide a quickly developing growth in attracting interest towards the Rock within the fast growing youth darts community.
Gibraltar seen as a safe and secure venue by many visiting from within the sporting community.