The three day £20,000 event runs from March 7-9 ,and the Women’s Singles offers a prize fund of more than £6000 -  with £3000 on offer to the winner - plus  important BDO and WDF rankings points.

Tournament director Les France of LF Promotions said: ”Twelve months ago support for the women’s tournament was disappointing – despite the prize purse on offer – so we hope the ladies will turn out in force this year and repay the sponsor’s loyalty for backing the women’s game.

“This year I have restructured the prize listing, so that the women’s singles, like the men’s, pays down to the last 64. However the future of this kind of support for the ladies event does depend on the support given to the competition.”

Welsh skipper Julie Gore will defend her title, with double Manx champ Trina Gulliver keen to get back to winning ways after her defeat at Lakeside.

It is hoped that the first ever East European winner of the Lakeside Women’s World Darts Championship – Anastasia Dobromyslova – will return to the impressive seafront Villa Marina complex and improve on her Semi Final placing 12 months ago.

2008 Lakeside World Pro Champion Mark Webster is a confirmed starter, and keen to build on his success. And there will be no shortage of players keen to claim the scalp of the new prince of Welsh darts at  the 23rd staging of the Manx tournament.

Top prize in the prestige men’s singles is £5000 and the event is expected to attract more than 500 title hopefuls, eager for a share of the £9000 prize fund and rankings points.

The three day tournament starts on Friday March 7 with a warm-up mixed singles event.. Saturday sees the Men’s and Women’s Singles, with the Men’s and Women’s Pairs, followed by the finals of all events.

There will also be a play-off for the Winmau World Boys & Girls Masters, with the winner earning a place in the World Masters finals in Bridlington later in the year.

Venue for the event is the showpiece Villa Marina which overlooks the coastal town of Douglas, and up to 1000 darts players are expected to attend, with players from Switzerland and Holland already confirmed.

Tournament director Les France added: “There has been a lot of interest in the tournament and hotels are rapidly filling up.”