The festive season's sporting highlight, the World Darts Championship at London's Alexandra Palace, is facing a familiar and unwelcome opponent. Alongside the cheers and elaborate costumes of the fans, a persistent winged nuisance—the notorious Ally Pally wasp—has once again buzzed into the spotlight, causing chaos for players throughout the tournament's opening rounds.
A Persistent Pest Disrupts Play
The insect's disruptive tour began during the first round and has shown no sign of letting up. Defending champion Luke Littler had to duck and weave to avoid it during a post-match interview after beating Darius Labanauskas. The wasp then proved to be an uninvited spectator on the oche, perching on the neck of Ross Smith during his surprise 3-2 loss to Andreas Harrysson.
Former world champion Rob Cross was also unaware of the insect on his shoulder following his 3-0 win over Cor Dekker. The trouble continued as Ted Evetts flicked a wasp from his cheek before his defeat to Luke Humphries, and Nitin Kumar even struck one mid-flight during his historic victory against Richard Veenstra.
Stings and Nerves Tested
The wasp's impact escalated during Monday's evening session. Martin Lukeman appeared to suffer a sting during the opening leg of his 3-1 defeat to Germany's Max Hopp. Later, Dutch player Dirk van Duijvenbode was seen stepping back from the oche to avoid the buzzing intruder during his match with Andy Baetens.
On Tuesday night, the insect returned to disrupt the first-round clash between Nick Kenny and Justin Hood. Despite the aerial distraction, it was Hood who held his nerve to secure a 3-0 victory and progress to the last 64.
Who Will Feel the Final Sting?
With Luke Littler still the favourite to retain his title, a curious subplot has gripped the championship. The question on many lips is whether the tournament's defining 'sting in the tail' will be delivered by a perfectly thrown dart or this tiny, persistent foe. The Ally Pally wasp has firmly cemented its status as an unpredictable and disruptive part of the Alexandra Palace spectacle.
