PDC Europe

'What if his body can’t handle it anymore?' – Van der Voort on Van Barneveld: 'As long as he can, he has to keep going.'

Originally posted on Dartsnews.com | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 5:36 AM ET

Raymond van Barneveld may have scraped into last year’s World Matchplay, but there was no luck this time around. The 58-year-old Dutch legend fell at the first hurdle against Michael van Gerwen and now finds himself in danger of missing out on the next major, the World Grand Prix.

In the latest episode of Darts Draait Door, presenter Damian Vlottes raised the uncomfortable question: “What if his body just can’t take it anymore? He simply can’t afford to play fewer events. Heading into the Grand Prix, he’s back down at the very last qualifying spot.”

That recording was made before Van Barneveld officially dropped out of the provisional qualification list — a further blow in a season that has offered more questions than answers.

"He Has to Play Everything"

With the race for Grand Prix qualification ending in late September, Van Barneveld now faces a relentless schedule. "He has to play all the events," said close friend and former pro Vincent van der Voort. "But what if his body can’t handle it anymore?" echoed Vlottes once more during the podcast.

“If that happens, you drop out of the rankings — and it’s over,” Van der Voort added. “So as long as he can still stand there, he has to keep going.”

While Van Barneveld would love nothing more than to ease his schedule, his current ranking leaves him with no margin for error. Years of underwhelming form have left him clinging to the lower end of the top 32.

“I spoke to him about it the other day via WhatsApp,” Van der Voort revealed. “He needs to build a tight, efficient schedule. He does a lot of exhibitions too, so he has to decide: where can he do them, and where not? What trips are worth it, and which ones drain too much energy? That’s the only way to plan things smartly and conserve his strength.”

The Risk of Missing Momentum

Even if 'Barney' hits form in a Euro Tour or Players Championship event, Van der Voort warns that such sparks aren’t enough. “The danger is, once he’s playing well, he won’t want to stop. That’s just how Raymond is — if he's suddenly in top form, it feels strange to start skipping tournaments. But if you keep pushing, the spiral continues.”

And that downward spiral, Van der Voort says, won’t reverse itself. “You can’t just think month to month, or tournament to tournament. That approach doesn’t work anymore.”

Van Barneveld isn’t alone. The podcast team pointed to others — such as Dimitri Van den Bergh and Michael Smith — who have fallen out of the spotlight due to dips in form or time away from the tour.

“A player like Dimitri, we probably won’t see him again until the World Championship,” they noted. “He’s missed out on everything. If that continues for two years, you lose your PDC Tour Card. Then it’s time to make some tough calls — to ask where you can realistically get results. In top-level sport, sometimes you have to be ruthless. You have to be selfish. That’s the only way.”