Five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld secured a virtual ticket for the upcoming Darts World Championship by reaching the quarterfinals of Players Championship 30 in Den Bosch. The current number 48 ranked player defeated Stephen Burton, Tyler Thorpe, Cam Crabtree, and Jeffrey de Zwaan before losing to Niels Zonneveld. This performance moved him to exactly 40th place on the Pro Tour Order of Merit, placing him on the borderline for automatic qualification alongside other Dutch contenders like Cam Crabtree and Martijn Dragt. Meanwhile, Michael van Gerwen also reached the quarterfinals after avenging his earlier loss to Benjamin Pratnemer, but was eliminated by Scott Williams. The World Championship begins on December 11 at Ally Pally.
Three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen was eliminated early from the Players Championship tournament in Den Bosch on Wednesday. Although he avenged his previous loss by defeating Benjamin Pratnemer 6-5, Van Gerwen lost the quarterfinals to Scott Williams with a score of 6-2. Williams went on to lose the final to Karel Sedlácek, who won 8-7 after defeating Jermaine Wattimena in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Raymond van Barneveld reached the quarterfinals, securing his path toward a spot in the global top forty for the next World Championship.
Gian van Veen lost the Players Championship final in Den Bosch to Cameron Menzies on Tuesday, failing to recover from a 5-0 deficit despite fighting back to 6-3. The 24-year-old Dutch player was defeated 8-4, with Menzies averaging 96.77 compared to Van Veen's 89.16. This result extends Van Veen's title drought since losing the World Championship final earlier this year. Meanwhile, Michael van Gerwen was eliminated in the first round by Benjamin Pratnemer.
Gian van Veen lost the Players Championship 29 final in Den Bosch to Scotland’s Cameron Menzies with a score of 4-8, remaining at two professional tournament wins. Van Veen, the world number three, also recently lost the youth World Cup final to Luke Littler. Meanwhile, Michael van Gerwen was eliminated in the first round by Slovenia’s Benjamin Pratnemer, ranked 111th globally, with a score of 6-3. This follows another early exit in Amsterdam against Daryl Gurney. Other Dutch players saw mixed results: Raymond van Barneveld advanced before losing to Martijn Dragt, while Dirk van Duijvenbode exited in the second round. Kevin Doets reached the semi-finals but lost to Menzies.
Michael van Gerwen suffered another early exit, losing to Slovenia's Benjamin Pratnemer, ranked 111st, at the Players Championship 29 in Den Bosch. This defeat follows his first-round elimination at the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam earlier that week. While Van Gerwen struggled, other Dutch players saw mixed results; Raymond van Barneveld advanced past the first round before falling to Martijn Dragt, and Dirk van Duijvenbode also exited in the second round. Despite these losses, eight Dutch competitors remained in the last 32 as the floor tournament concluded.
Michael van Gerwen suffered another significant setback on Tuesday with a defeat in the first round of Players Championship 29 in Den Bosch against the world's number 111 player. This loss follows his earlier elimination in the first round of the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam.
David Munyua secured his place in the 2027 World Darts Championship this past weekend, marking his return to Ally Pally following his notable performance in the previous year.
Kenyan darts sensation David Munyua has qualified for the World Darts Championship for the second time after defeating fellow Kenyan Evans Njuguna 8-7 in the final of the North African qualifier in Nairobi. The 30-year-old, who made history last year by becoming the first non-South African African to win a match at the tournament, will compete in the event starting on December 11.
Nineteen-year-old top darter Luke Littler appears set to boycott tournaments in the Netherlands for the time being. After threatening a boycott during the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, he has now officially withdrawn from several upcoming events in the country.
World champion Luke Littler has decided not to participate in the EuroTour event in Maastricht, following a contentious weekend in Amsterdam where he clashed with Dutch fans. Littler cited being booed and whistled at during his match against Danny Noppert as reasons for skipping tournaments in the Netherlands, stating it is pointless to travel while facing such hostility. The 19-year-old English player previously skipped events in Germany for similar reasons but will still compete in the European Championship in Dortmund next month. His absence from the Maastricht tournament follows his quarterfinal loss to Jonny Clayton at the World Series of Darts Finals, which ended his chance to win all PDC majors in a single calendar year.
World number one darts player Luke Littler has decided to skip the upcoming EuroTour tournament in Maastricht following constant whistling and booing from the audience during the World Series of Darts in Amsterdam. Littler expressed his frustration, stating that the hostile environment makes it difficult to compete and sign autographs, leading him to withdraw from future events in the Netherlands if the behavior continues. Former world champion Raymond van Barneveld publicly supported Littler, urging Dutch fans to show respect by refraining from whistling while still encouraging players.
Dart player Gian van Veen failed to secure a major title in 2026, falling short of confirming his status as vice-world champion and the highest-ranked Dutch darter. During the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam on Sunday evening, he was eliminated in the semi-finals by Ross Smith.
English darts player Ross Smith secured his first World Series of Darts Finals title by defeating Welsh competitor Gerwyn Price with a score of 11-5 in Amsterdam. Smith overcame a competitive match to close out the victory, breaking Price's serve multiple times during the final leg sequence. In the semi-finals, Smith had previously eliminated Dutch player Gian van Veen, who cited physical exhaustion following earlier matches as a factor in his loss. Meanwhile, Price advanced to the final after defeating Jonny Clayton 11-7, showcasing strong average scores throughout his campaign in the tournament.
Gerwyn Price defeated Jonny Clayton 11-7 to advance to the final, while Ross Smith beat Gian van Veen after Van Veen cited a lack of energy from his previous match. Price is now set to compete for his third World Series of Darts Finals victory against Smith.
Gian van Veen was eliminated from the World Series of Darts Finals after losing 11-8 to Ross Smith at AFAS Live in Amsterdam. Van Veen had previously defeated Dirk van Duijvenbode in the quarterfinals but was the last remaining Dutch player after defending champion Michael van Gerwen exited earlier. Ross Smith advanced to the final by defeating Gerwyn Price 11-5.
Dutch player Gian van Veen failed to reach the final of the World Series of Darts Finals, losing 11-8 to England's Ross Smith at AFAS Live in Amsterdam. Van Veen, seeded fifth, was eliminated from the tournament.
Gian van Veen was eliminated from the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam after losing his semi-final match against Ross Smith. Smith advances to the final, where he will face either Jonny Clayton or Gerwyn Price. The live blog covered the progression of the tournament and other sports news updates.
Gian van Veen reached the semi-finals of the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, where he faces England's Ross Smith. Earlier in the day, Gerwyn Price defeated James Wade, while Jonny Clayton upset favorite Luke Littler to set up a second semi-final between two Welsh competitors. The event continues with these matches followed by the final at AFAS Live.
Gian van Veen advanced to the World Series of Darts Finals semifinals in Amsterdam by defeating compatriot Dirk van Duijvenbode 10-8 at AFAS Live. The last remaining Dutch player will face England’s Ross Smith, who beat Josh Rock 10-7. In another quarterfinal, Jonny Clayton surprisingly eliminated world champion Luke Littler 10-4, ending Littler’s bid to win all televised tournaments this year. Clayton will later play Gerwyn Price, who defeated James Wade 10-7. The winner of the finals in Amsterdam can earn 100,000 pounds, which does not count toward the world ranking.
Gian van Veen was eliminated from the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam after losing 11-8 to Ross Smith in the semifinals, making him the top-performing Dutch player at the event. Meanwhile, world number one Luke Littler suffered a surprising 10-4 quarterfinal defeat to Jonny Clayton, ending his 37-match winning streak on major tournaments and halting his bid to win all televised events in a single calendar year.
