The year 2025 PDC World Darts Championships is in full swing and soon it will be too late Raymond van Barneveld Ally Pally will return to the stage. The 57-year-old Dutchman is no longer considered among the contenders, and “Barney” notes that attention is currently focused mainly on others.
“Most people don’t even recognize me anymore,” the five-time world champion begins with a laugh during the interview Telegraph. “Really, I take this seriously. Then they recognize something and ask: Are you, by any chance, my colleague from work? Then I ask if they are also professional darts players. I also need to explain to a few people if you still play darts, yes or no. Since it’s no longer broadcast on the open network, many people can’t see you anymore.
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Van Barneveld was known for reacting emotionally after defeat. However, in recent years, “Barney” has cut himself a little slack and enjoyed it more. “But I said some stupid things back then as a young man. There are people who are fighting for their lives, and I lost a game of darts,” referring to a 2019 interview in which he said, “Life had no meaning anymore.”
“You know, I still blame myself for everything. It never changes in my head. The only thing that changes is that, of course, it wasn’t about me for a long time. It used to be about Phil (Taylor, ed.), Gary (Anderson, ed.), Michael (van Gerwen, ed.) and me, but I’m not on the poster anymore. Nobody takes into account that Raymond van Barneveld will win the world title for a moment.”
But even though the Dutchman may no longer be one of the absolute best at darts, something still happens when Van Barneveld comes into play and Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” echoes through the Alexander Palace. This was the case for Luke Littler at last year’s World Championships. “The match was coming and yet everyone gave me a chance because I was playing well. Nobody knew how it would turn out, but then the man with the hammer came and it was 4-1.”
Time will tell if Van Barneveld can actually pull off a shocker. But confidence is certainly there: “I just dropped 180 pounds four times in a row last week. This isn’t normal, is it? I haven’t done this my whole life. Then I think: Damn it, Ray, it’s still there, from your 57th year.”
