Raymond van Barneveld sprak na zijn succes in Niedernhausen op de PDC Q-School. Hiermee won hij zijn status als professioneel darter terug.
De vijfvoudig wereldkampioen nam dit jaar deel aan de Q-School nadat hij zijn beslissing had teruggedraaid om met pensioen te gaan.
De Nederlander kwam door Fase 1 en plaatste zich daarmee voor de Finalefase. Op de vierde dag van de Fase werd run richting de overwinning in de kwartfinales gestopt door Niels Zonneveld. Uiteindelijk eindigde Van Barneveld op de tweede plek op de Europese ranking en pakte daarmee toch zijn Tour Card.
Van Van Barneveld wordt verwacht dat hij terugkeert op de ProTour tijdens de Super Series 1 en daarna deel zal nemen aan de Ladbrokes UK Open van 5 t/m 7 maart. Daar is hij een tweevoudig winnaar, hij won het toernooi in 2006 en 2007.
VAN BARNEVELD: "I'm feeling really happy. I was so desperate to do well today, because I had a bad run yesterday losing [in] the first round.
I was really nervous, but when I won the second game against Benito van de Pas, it was [such] relief, that one single point.
I accomplished that and I feel renewed and I feel really good now to be back on the tour, and hopefully next week I can show the world again what Raymond van Barneveld can do.
I got a chance to put myself back on the map, thanks to my management, my team and my sponsors. We worked hard every single day, and I think because of that I got a Tour Card.
I wanted to win the day of course, to be a winner, but there is a system to be number one, two, three or eight on the rankings and I accomplished that.
I've played so many tournaments in my life, this was really the hardest part of my life ever.
There were so many good names, amazing players and I was focusing on winning on the day, but that's really hard - winning seven games on the spin, you must be a really good player to do this.
I was hoping to do that today because I was feeling really good, but I'm still happy to be back on the ProTour."
Van Barnevelds carrière eindigde op het WK van 2020 waar hij in de eerste ronde verloor van de Amerikaan Darin Young. Hij probeert nu die herinnering achter zich te laten en weer vooruit te kijken.
VAN BARNEVELD: "The first target of this year was getting the Tour Card back, and then I want to qualify for the World Championship by the end of the year. That's my goal.
I'm really desperate to work even harder right now and my sponsors, my management and my coach deserve that because of all the effort they put in.
I'm a winner and I'm going to show them that they did the right thing, and I'm going to prove that I'm going to do well in the next year."
© Foto: Professional Darts Corporation (PDC)