Chris Dobey stamped his authority on the debut Winamax Hildesheim Darts Gala, clinching the title on both Friday and Saturday in front of over 4,000 fans at the legendary Halle39. The venue, which had bid farewell to the PDC calendar in October 2025 with the last German Darts Championship, made a star-studded comeback with a double-header that saw Dobey dominate across both nights.
On Friday, Dobey topped Group A after a 4-2 win over Martin Schindler, following earlier group wins against Devon Petersen (4-0). In the semifinals, he defeated Nathan Aspinall 4-2, setting up a final rematch with Schindler, who had edged Raymond van Barneveld 4-3. The final was a close affair, with Dobey prevailing 4-3 to secure the first night's title.
Saturday saw Dobey remain the benchmark. He swept through Group A with a 4-0 win over Dirk van Duijvenbode, having earlier beaten Petersen 4-0 again. In the semifinals, he whitewashed Aspinall 4-0, while van Duijvenbode defeated van Barneveld 4-2 in the other semifinal. The final was no contest: Dobey sealed the double with a clear 4-0 win over van Duijvenbode, crowning himself undisputed champion of the weekend.
The Hildesheim Darts Gala was the ninth stop of this year's PDC Europe gala series, following events in Wetzlar, Frankfurt, Leipzig, the Nürburgring, Neu-Ulm, Bamberg, Magdeburg, and Mannheim. While these exhibitions carry no ranking status, many top players use them to gain stage reps and connect with the crowd. PDC Europe will continue the series in 2026 with stops in Bremen, Jena, Cologne, and another double-header in Lingen.