Darts: Skol prize money jumps to £350,000

The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) have announced a number of new developments for the sport.

These include a 60% increase in prize money for the 2001/02 Skol World Championships.

During a meeting with the Professional Darts Players Association, the Chairman Barry Hearn, outlined how the PDC aimed to alter the structure of the professional game and give players more opportunities to compete and win

prize money.

The main changes announced were:

*An increase in prize-money for the Skol World Championship to with the first-prize being £350,000, making the tournament the richest in the world

*The introduction of nine new events starting in July 2002, taking place in Great Britain and mainland Europe

* A new ranking system which will come into effect following the completion of the 2002 Skol World Championship

*The introduction of the PDC British Open to be staged in 2003