History - Historie

Dear ladies and gentleman, partners and friends.

In the name of Czech darts organisation (CDO) we are proud to introduce you one of the greatest darts event over Europe – Czech open. CDO as a proud member of World darts federation is organising this tournament for past 15 years with a highest quality. In the year 2010 will be 16th Czech open at start of November and we all are looking forward to it to meet all players and darts friends from Czech republic and rest of Europe.

In this short article we would like to show you how big, long a sheer way we covered. We will start in the year 2003. Tournament was played in pub as local event and was still a baby, but with a big potential. First 2 foreign players visited Czech open and next year 2004 with a litle bit more local players a 3 foreign players entered. But year 2005 was a crucial. Number of participant grown from 48 in 2004 to 148 in 2005. It was a sign that we are doing a good job. Also number of foreing players grown from 3 to 63!!! And we could not imagine how good it will be in next years.

The year 2006 is writen by a golden characters into a history of Czech open and CDO. After a succesful visit of Professional World darts championship in London we asked world most famous master caller and referee Russ Bray to call a final stage matches in Prague and he agreed. We were delighted with this and it was first ever Czech open we can called completely made, because Russ Bray was not first and only great part. Also there was a Czech television Sport channel 4 and we are continuing this partnership to these days. From the year 2006 CDO gurantee a prize money fund, which was raising every year to current 6000 euro.

In the year 2007 we welcome back Russ Bray and we got over a 370 players. First time ever there was a special prize for a nine dart finish in stage matches. Foreign players were more then 250 and we were not match add appreciations. Thanks to all. This year 2007 was also a new in one thing, we got a prestigious ranking for a BDO invitational table, which is most important players ranking we can have. It was only a cathegory C but…..the next year 2008 was in many ways most succesful Czech open in history of CDO. We got over 400 players and we moved from one sports hall to two. It was a great sign that we are growing. We raised prize money from 4000 euro to 6000 euro, nine dart finish prize money was raised from 800 euro to 1000 euro and because Russ Bray had job duties we asked another professional master caller Richard Ashdown to call final matches. He was briliant also. In the year 2008 we got last important ranking Zuiderduin Masters. It is a special invitational tournament for best players of the year and we are proud to be a members. These great things in the year 2008 helped us to move Czech open to another level of quality for the jubilee 15th anniversary in the year 2009.

We moved to a 4 stars hotel OREA Pyramida Prague. Luxury hotel with a great backrounds offered us a new chances. 15th Czech open was a great celebration of sport of darts in Czech republic. Because of world financial crisis there was not to many players as we expected but more then 320 is a good number. Russ Bray was back to call a final stage matches and he did not came alone. Mr Eric Bristow MBE was his partner in pairs tournament and also they played singles. Eric Bristow is 5 times world professional champion and he is a living legend in the sport of darts. He was first dart player ever been decorated by The Queen Elizabeth II. with a title Member of British Empire.

For the year 2010 we will be back in OREA Pyramida hotel 4* with Russ Bray, Eric Bristow and Czech TV sport channel 4. We got better rankings and we are now in cathegories WDF 2, BDO B and Zuiderduin Masters. By this rankings we are one of the top class tournaments in the world and we are over the moon to be part of great sport of darts.

A few years are off since 2010 and we are still in hotel Pyramida. Czech open grown to one of the biggest event in darting calendar. 2015 for record breaking with more then 800 players. Some changes we had to make on stage, sadly Russ Bray is so much busy in PDC so we found two new faces. No doubt both are perfect, Richard Ashdown and Antony Dundas are our new MCs and refs and they are simply fantastic.

Year 2016 bring another record with over 850 players in singles tournaments, including players from Canada, India, Philliphines.