Mike Decker 2024 is a breakthrough year. The 28-year-old Belgian won the World Grand Prix in October and is heading into the upcoming ones PDC World Darts Championships with particular certainty. De Decker will start from 24th position and will face the winner of the fight between Luke Woodhouse and Lourence Ilagan.
De Decker defeated world number one Luke Humphries 6-4 in the World Grand Prix final, proving he was a real World Championship contender. “It was brilliant. I didn’t expect to win the Grand Prix. I’ve never made it to the final 16 before,” De Decker said Heavenly sports. “It was a huge change in my career and even in my life. It was amazing.”
The Real Deal himself admitted that he suffered from stage fright and had never broken the final 64 points at the World Darts Championships in the past. But this year, due to his good performances, he is heading for Alexandra Palace with great confidence. “If you do well in these tournaments, you have a lot of confidence going into the most important one, which is the Championships. It’s a huge help, good performances,” he explains. “I was always a little afraid to go on stage and play in front of a large audience. Now I just feel good about it. I’m never more nervous than I was during a tournament on the court. I feel more confident than ever.”
Mike De Decker in action last month at the Players Championship Finals
“I dream of winning this trophy at least once,” De Decker continued. “But for now, I hope to survive Christmas. It was always two games, and now I only have to win one. So I hope I can do it this time.”
De Decker often has the audience in his hands with his song “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley and The Wailers. “This has been happening for the last few years [make me nervous] but now I enjoy the passersby, I enjoy the crowd. So no, I’m not more nervous than before,” he says. “I already had it at the European Championships. I had it in Prague during the European Tour. It gives me chills when John McDonald calls it. I think everyone who plays darts wants to be number 1 in the world or world champion, so that’s the goal for me. I just want to get as high in the rankings as possible.”
