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Rashad Sweeting, making his debut at the WORLD Darts Championship, had a comical moment on his way to the Ally Pally stage.
This year, Sweeting endeared himself to the audience at Alexandra Palace with his lighthearted behavior at the oche, even performing a fun rendition of Cole Palmer’s iconic celebration.
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Nevertheless, the Barbadian nearly missed his opportunity to perform as he humorously took a wrong turn while entering the stage.
Announcer John McDonald introduced Sweeting’s inaugural television match against world No.81 Jeffrey de Graaf in the opening round.
The crowd cheered loudly as the 34-year-old made his entrance to Nakhaz’s ‘I’m a Bahamian (That’s What I Like)’
However, after exchanging high-fives with the crowd, Sweeting mistakenly turned left and began heading toward the players’ exit stairs.
Fortunately, cameras captured a staff member guiding Sweeting back towards the entrance steps.
The Candy Man quickly got back on track, waving to the enthusiastic audience, acknowledging their cheers before pointing to the sky.
De Graaf, the strong favorite, started slowly, missing seven darts in the first sets, while Sweeting hinted at an upset by taking an early lead of 3-1.
Sweeting, who works as an immigration officer, was leading 1-0 with the second set tied at 2-2.
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He set his sights on a checkout of 194 to clinch the second set and extend his lead.
After hitting two double 20s, the crowd rallied behind Sweeting, urging him to go for a 180, which he did, despite it leaving him with a challenging double seven to complete.
World Darts Championship player celebrates hitting a 180 by mimicking Cole Palmer’s ‘cold’ celebration… & here’s the backstory on that
He could have chosen a lower score for a simpler finish.
Sweeting then mimicked Palmer’s ‘cold’ celebration, much to the audience’s delight – although he ultimately missed the tricky double seven and lost 3-1.
It was later revealed that this entertaining moment was his response to a fan’s earlier request for him to copy the England international if he succeeded in hitting a 180 during the match.
He achieved the 100th 180 of the 2024-25 PDC Darts Championship, contributing an additional £1000 to The Bigger 180 Campaign fund.
As a gesture of appreciation for his captivating show, Paddy Power offered to cover his return flight to the Bahamas, where he lives.
It was a landmark night as Sweeting became the first darts player from Barbados to perform at Ally Pally.
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