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'Dimitri told me I shouldn’t play if I wasn’t 100% Now those words apply to him' - Kim Huybrechts ready to seize World Cup chance if Van den Bergh's darting absence continues

Originally posted on Dartsnews.com | Last updated May 10, 2025 4:30 PM ET

Dimitri Van den Bergh has not competed since unexpectedly pulling out of a Players Championship event last month, raising questions over whether The DreamMaker will feature at this year’s World Cup of Darts.

The Belgian was due to play at Players Championship 13 in Rosmalen in mid-April but withdrew moments before his first-round match against José de Sousa, citing that he didn’t feel ready to play. “Dimitri doesn’t make decisions like this lightly,” his fiancée Evi Loyaerts wrote on Facebook. “He’s never done anything like this in ten years as a professional. But what has to be done, has to be done.”

Since then, Van den Bergh has opted out of subsequent Players Championships and European Tour events and has confirmed he won’t return to action in May either. Fellow Belgian Kim Huybrechts addressed the situation on the Darts Draait Door podcast. “He has to do what he feels is right,” Huybrechts said. “Everyone manages their career in their own way, whether it’s personal or professional. I’ve had difficult moments myself, but I’ve never needed a break. If Dimitri feels he does, he should absolutely take it. Everyone sees things differently. We don’t know exactly what’s going on, and not everyone recovers at the same pace. It’s up to him to decide when he feels ready again.”

World Cup of Darts

Van den Bergh’s potential absence puts a question mark over his place at the World Cup of Darts in June. As Belgium’s second-highest ranked player behind Mike De Decker, he would normally be set to represent his country. “The World Cup isn’t about playing for yourself — it’s about playing for your country,” Huybrechts added. “I remember last year, when I broke my collarbone, Dimitri told me I shouldn’t play if I wasn’t one hundred percent fit, because I had to think about the team.”

“Now those words apply to him. If he feels ready and one hundred percent fit, he should play. But he also needs to be honest with himself. If he’s still not mentally there, I’m ready to step in for Belgium. It’s not that I’m desperate to play, but I do enjoy the tournament. Maybe a little less than when I could play alongside my brother Ronny, but it’s still an honour to represent your country.”

Huybrechts and De Decker have had tensions in the past, but he insists that won’t be an issue if they need to team up. “No problem at all,” Huybrechts confirmed. “We spoke and laughed together in the practice room in Munich three weeks ago. It was great. What happened is in the past — we talked it through and I’ve already apologised to him. Everything has settled down. If it gets brought up again, it’s the media stirring it.”