Luke Humphries joked about a bookmaker’s offer to Rashad Sweeting (Image: Getty)
Stephen Bunting and have jokingly pleaded with sponsor Paddy Power to send them to the Bahamas. It comes after the bookmaker offered to pay for Rashad Sweeting’s travel costs to and from the Caribbean country.
Sweeting is the first player from the Bahamas to compete at the World Championship. The 34-year-old captured the hearts of the Alexandra Palace crowd with his risk-taking approach at the oche.
A successful attempt at a 180 caught the eye of tournament sponsor Paddy Power, who offered to pay for the unlikely star’s flights home. Reigning world champion Humphries jokingly requested that they also pay for his own travel to practice with Sweeting.
The 29-year-old wrote on social media platform X: “Rashad wants me to go over there and practise with him after the world championships! Any chance you can cover my travel costs as well?”
Bunting also quipped that he also needed to make the trip so he could carry the duo’s bags. The 39-year-old responded to Humphries: “And I’ve been practicing with [Humphries] too so sure I could carry all the bags.”
It comes after Sweeting had a chance encounter with Humphries in his hotel. The World No. 225 was practicing in an upstairs room when Humphries unexpectedly joined him. The duo chatted about darts and the Bahamas – although Sweeting had initially thought Humphries was a cleaner.
“I’m going to tell you the funny story. I was in the room practising upstairs in the hotel, and I was throwing darts,” Sweeting said.
Rashad Sweeting became a World Darts Championship fan favourite this week (Image: Getty)
“I heard a swipe on the door. It was jammed, like the person had trouble getting in. I thought it was the cleaners. So I went to the door, opened it, I looked up and I said: ‘You’re Humphries! Do you want me to come out here because you’re the best player in the world? You want me to get up?’
“He said: ‘No, no, you’re good, you’re good,’ and we started a conversation from there. He gave me courage and advice about the game and what to expect. Asked me about my country, how it starts there. Very cool guy. Very cool. I love it, man.”
Despite scoring his 180, Sweeting was dumped out of the World Championship, losing 3-1 against Jeffrey de Graaf. He might not have too long to wait before meeting Humphries again, though, if the World No. 1 gets his wish and a trip to the Bahamas.