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Congratulations to Dirk van Duijvenbode who welcomes baby girl Loïs into family

Originally posted on Dartsnews.com | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 10:50 AM ET

Dirk van Duijvenbode has announced the birth of his second child, a baby girl named Loïs, capping off an emotional week for the Dutchman on and off the oche.

The 32-year-old revealed the news on Instagram just a day after the World Matchplay concluded, confirming that both mother and daughter are doing well. Van Duijvenbode and his partner Saskia Kokshoorn are already parents to a son, Levi, who turns two later this year.

It brings a joyful end to a challenging week for the world number 18, who had chosen to compete at the prestigious tournament in Blackpool despite Saskia being heavily pregnant.

Van Duijvenbode admitted the decision was “selfish” but said it was made with a clear purpose: to secure valuable prize money and ranking points.

“The biggest pressure was on the first round,” he told Sportnieuws.nl. “If you lose there, you get nothing – zero pounds and zero points. So I had to play just to get that £10,000 to protect my ranking. In the end, it became £15,000 thanks to my win over Rob Cross. And after that? Well...”

His campaign came to an end in the second round with an 11-5 defeat to Andrew Gilding, but that loss came with a silver lining. It allowed Van Duijvenbode to make a swift return home to the Netherlands, where his partner was about to give birth.

“This child is far more important than darts,” he said. “I can always come back to the World Matchplay next year. But your daughter is only born once – and that means far more to me.”

With the arrival of Loïs, Van Duijvenbode’s family is now complete, and the man affectionately known as the Aubergenius is taking time to enjoy life away from the spotlight. A return to the darting stage surely won’t be far off – but for now, the focus is firmly on family life in the Netherlands.