Bacolod City to host first national darts tilt during MassKara Festival

BACOLOD CITY—In a historic first, the National Darts Federation of the Philippines (NDFP) will hold its inaugural National Ranking Darts Tournament in conjunction with the city’s vibrant MassKara Festival.

The event, titled the 1st Mayor Albee Benitez 200K National Darts Tournament, will take place from October 11 to 13, 2024, at the Villamonte Gym in Bacolod City, a venue set to welcome dart players from across the country.

The tournament, sanctioned by the NDFP and organized by Stardarts (EB Magalona), is led by Beo Ganon and Kristian Chad Dalpatan, with tournament director Juan Jose “JJ” Jamora IV, NDFP’s Regional Coordinator for Western Visayas, overseeing the event.

The competition, which offers a total prize pool of PHP 200,000, is expected to draw elite players and dart enthusiasts alike.

A National Ranking Event

This marks the first time Bacolod City, famously dubbed the “City of Smiles,” will host a national darts ranking tournament as part of the MassKara Festival celebration.

Bacolod’s darting community has long dreamt of hosting such a prestigious event, dating back to 2000 when invitational tournaments were held at the now-closed Tops Bowling Lanes.

The three-day competition features a variety of events, including classified draw doubles, fixed 4-man teams, and singles tournaments for both men and women.

The prize breakdown is as follows: the champion of the main event will take home PHP 12,000, with the runner-up receiving PHP 6,000. A special 9-Dart Out challenge, sponsored by Robson SportsCraft, also carries a PHP 10,000 prize.

The tournament will kick off with registration and draw doubles on October 11 at 3 p.m. The competition will continue with the team events and various singles categories over the weekend, culminating in finals on October 13.

Participants will also compete under strict guidelines to ensure fair play, with match formats including the best of 5 and best of 7 legs. The classified draw doubles will open with a 501 format, while the singles events will follow a best-of-9 format in the final rounds.

Long-Awaited Milestone for Bacolod’s Darting Community

Bacolod’s dart players have long aspired to elevate their local tournaments to a national level.

Rommel Bagotayao, a revered figure in the city’s darts scene, and other local organizers, had made numerous attempts to secure sponsorships over the years.

Their efforts, supported by the late Ed Go, kept the invitational tournaments alive until the closure of Tops Millennium Plaza.

For more information on the tournament, participants may contact Chad Dalpatan at 0946-840-5985 or Beo D. Ganon at 0921-826-8421.