Jesus Salate confirmed his Paddy Power World Darts Championship return after securing top spot on the Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean Tour rankings last weekend. Argentinian star Salate will make his second consecutive appearance at Alexandra Palace following his dominance of the CDLC circuit in 2026, having clinched four of the six titles on […]
Jesus Salate confirmed his Paddy Power World Darts Championship return after securing top spot on the Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean Tour rankings last weekend.
Argentinian star Salate will make his second consecutive appearance at Alexandra Palace following his dominance of the CDLC circuit in 2026, having clinched four of the six titles on offer.
The 43-year-old earned his World Championship debut last December after claiming top spot in last year’s rankings, and he reaffirmed his credentials with a series of sparkling displays in the Bahamas.
Salate kicked off the weekend with Event Four glory, running out a comprehensive 6-1 winner against former World Championship qualifier Rashad Sweeting in Friday’s showpiece.
This was preceded by a comeback victory over Trinidad and Tobago’s World Cup star Joshua Balfour in the semi-finals, where he overturned 3-0 and 4-2 deficits to prevail.
Salate conceded just two legs in advancing to the semi-finals, dispatching Mark Griffith, Kilroy Wilson and George Patterson before downing Balfour and Sweeting in the closing stages.
It was a similar story in Event Five, as Salate and home hero Sweeting went head-to-head for the title, in a high-quality contest which served the full 11 legs.
Argentina’s World Cup star triumphed in a dramatic contest, averaging 93.68 and converting a clinical 118 checkout in the decider, despite trailing 3-0 at one stage.
Salate had kicked off Saturday’s event with emphatic victories over Frisco Wells and Romero Cartwright, before brushing aside Dean Persad and Guyana’s Sudesh Fitzgerald in convincing style.
However, his hopes of completing a clean sweep in Nassau were thwarted by Balfour in the Event Six semi-finals, as Sweeting rounded off the 2026 season with a win.
The 36-year-old opened his challenge with successive whitewash victories, which he backed up with routine wins at the expense of Keith McDonald, Persad and four-time World Championship qualifier Norman Madhoo.
This set up a winner-takes-all showdown against Balfour – the man nicknamed John Blaade – with Sweeting landing a brace of ton-plus checkouts and winning five of the last six legs to seal a 6-3 success.
Salate’s quartet of titles in 2026 earns him a place in the 2026/27 Paddy Power World Darts Championship, and a place in the preliminary stages of next year’s Winmau World Masters.
Having featured in three successive finals on home soil, Sweeting finished runner-up on the overall rankings, with Balfour and Madhoo completing the top four.
2026 Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean Tour
Friday July 24, Nassau.
Event Four
Semi-Finals
Jesus Salate 6-4 Joshua Balfour
Rashad Sweeting 6-4 Shane Sawyer
Final
Jesus Salate 6-1 Rashad Sweeting
Saturday July 25
Event Five
Semi-Finals
Jesus Salate 6-2 Sudesh Fitzgerald
Rashad Sweeting 6-3 James Walklin
Final
Jesus Salate 6-5 Rashad Sweeting
Sunday July 26
Event Six
Semi-Finals
Joshua Balfour 6-5 Jesus Salate
Rashad Sweeting 6-4 Norman Madhoo
Final
Rashad Sweeting 6-3 Joshua Balfour