After 35 years at the top of the dartsporten has Raymond van Barneveld played his last game as a professional.
Dartlegenden Raymond van Barneveld has played his last game as a professional dartspiller. It is clear after his defeat in the first round at the PDC World Darts Championship.
The 52-year-old dutchman lost on Saturday night with 1 to 3 of the sets for the american outsider Darin Young at the WORLD championships in Alexandra Palace in London.
It was thus on antiklimatisk show that one of the sport’s greatest players ever – with the time known under the name of “Barney” – could retire.
– I played really bad. I was surprised, quite simply. Darin played really well. All honor to him, said Barneveld after the match to Sky Sports.
– I am lost in the first round – in my katastrofeår. I will never forgive myself. Never ever.
Already in november last year, announced the five-time world champion, 2019 would be his last active season as a professional dartspiller.
– for over 35 years I have competed in the top of the dartsporten, both with ups and downs, five WORLD cup titles and a lot of other trophies.
– This sport has given me everything I could have hoped for, and I will always be grateful for.
– But I have decided that 2019 will be my last year as a professional dartspiller. I hope to see all my fans again next year, and I get the chance to say goodbye, before I put the arrows on the shelf, ” said Raymond van Barneveld in november of last year, according to the dartnyheder.dk.
Raymond van Barneveld has diabetes, which hollænderens his own admission, has been hindered through a packed tournament schedule.
It was Barneveld who got dartsporten on the map in the Netherlands, when he at the end of the 1990s dominated in the BDO and then won the PDC’s world championship in 2007 in an epic final against Phil Taylor.
Barnevelds career has featured at four WORLD cup titles in the BDO and one PDC. Thus is Raymond van Barneveld is among the few players who have won at least five WORLD cup titles.
Dartsporten is divided in to two organizations: the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and British Darts Organisation (BDO).
PDC World Darts Championship will be held from 12. december 2019 to 1. January 2020.
/ritzau/
