- Sandro Eric Sosing reported chest pains and was evaluated by facility staff
- The Filipino player had to play against the Englishman Ian White, who will have a rest
- He advanced Stephen Bunting’s clash with Kai Gotthardt, who won 3-1.
Darts star Sandro Eric Sosing has pulled out of his World Championship match after falling ill and being rushed to hospital.
He was due to play Ian White in the first round match and the Englishman will now receive a direct pass to the next stage of the tournament.
The Filipino player experienced chest pains while preparing for the game on the practice field.
He was then assessed by medical staff at Alexandra Palace and transferred for further treatment.
In a statement, PDC Darts said: “Sandro Eric Sosing has withdrawn from his match with Ian White for medical reasons.
“Sosing reported chest pains while practicing and after an on-site evaluation by medical staff, he was taken for further treatment.”
Sandro Eric Sosing has withdrawn from his World Championship match after falling ill
The world number 225 reported chest pains in the practice area minutes before his match.
This means that Englishman Ian White moves on to the next round where he will face Ritchie Edhouse.
It meant eighth seed Stephen Bunting’s clash with Kai Gotthardt went ahead. The Englishman ended up coming back from a one-set deficit to dispatch the German 3-1.
Sosing won his first Asian Tour title in March and is ranked 225th in the world.
The 41-year-old qualified for darts’ premier tournament after placing second at the PDC Asian Championships.
Meanwhile, White will face compatriot Ritchie Edhouse in the next round of the World Championship.
Friday was another busy day at Ally Pally as Alexander Merkx dispatched Stephen Burton in straight sets to advance to the next round before Wessel Nijman beat Cameron Carolissen 3-2 in a thriller and Bunting won.
There was shenanigans as usual among the crowd and this time pop star Ed Sheeran was on hand to light up the atmosphere.
Thousands of darts fans flocked to Alexandra Palace for the afternoon session on Friday, less than a day after second seed Michael Smith was eliminated.
Michael van Gerwen headlines Friday’s matches when he takes on James Hurrell in the second round.
Meanwhile, crowd favorite Stephen Bunting beat Kai Gotthardt 3-1 at Alexandra Palace.
Ed Sheeran got involved in the fun drinking six pints after being goaded by a drunken crowd.
And Sheeran was spotted in his seat early in the afternoon as he watched the day’s opening action while sipping beers.
The Shape of You singer will be on hand to watch Ryan ‘The Barber’ Meikle on Saturday when he takes on last year’s runner-up Luke Littler.
Meikle, like Sheeran, is a big Ipswich fan and lives close to the singer.
The 28-year-old beat Fallon Sherrock 3-2 in the first round on Tuesday to book a meeting with Littler.