Latest news with #RaymondVanBarneveld
The Sun
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘I feel more calm' – Michael van Gerwen reveals major personal change for first time that inspired World Matchplay win
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN has revealed that the presence of his daughter played a huge role in his World Matchplay win over Raymond van Barneveld. The Dutch maestro was made to work against his compatriot in a 10-6 victory at the Winter Gardens. 4 4 4 4 And it was welcome relief after a torrid time in his personal life. Last week, Van Gerwen's father was sadly diagnosed with cancer. And in May, he announced his split from wife Daphne before pulling out of upcoming tournaments. The pair had been together since 2008 before getting married in 2014, the same year as his first World Championship win. But against Van Barneveld, Van Gerwen had a special guest watching on. Daughter Zoe, 7, is the — the other being son Mike, 5. And she was present as Van Gerwen booked his place in the next stage. Speaking after the game, MvG declared that Zoe had bought a 'calmness' to his game. And being able to spend quality time with her between matches was also the perfect antidote to his personal issues. Van Gerwen said: 'We have a day off tomorrow. I can relax a little bit more and spend some time with my daughter. Michael van Gerwen makes major change as he returns to darts for first time since announcing divorce 'She is here for the first time and I really enjoy that. 'My dad had an operation, he had cancer last week, that's why I'm playing today. 'I'm in the middle of a divorce. I brought my daughter to give a bit to myself. 'But for the rest, I feel good. I feel more calm now and think from here on I can make steps. 'Of course the first rounds are always tough. But I hope we see a more relaxed version of me, that would be nice and fair to me.'
The Sun
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Michael van Gerwen to face former world champion in first TV major since darts star announced divorce
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN will face Raymond van Barneveld in a clash of the Dutch darts titans at the Betfred World Matchplay in his first TV major since the announcement of his divorce. Mighty Mike plays his fellow countryman in the first round of the prestigious PDC event, which starts on Saturday, July 1,9 at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. 3 3 3 The three-time world champion shocked his fans by revealing on social media on May 24 that he is splitting from his wife, Daphne, after 11 years of marriage. The 36-year-old – who has two children under the age of seven – pulled out of the Elten Safety Shoes Dutch Darts Championship in his homeland when the news broke. And he did not appear for his country at last month's PDC World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt. In his next two competitive appearances, on the World Series of Darts circuit, Van Gerwen lost in the quarter-finals, first to Gerwyn Price in New York and then to Rob Cross in Poland. This will be his first televised slot on Sky Sports since the family break-up went public, in a competition in which he has won on three occasions. And the No.3 seed will battle legendary five-time world champion Van Barneveld, 58, in round one over the best of 19 legs. Defending champion and No.1 seed Luke Humphries is up against Holland's Gian van Veen on the opening night in front of more than 2,000 fans. On day two, reigning world champion Luke Littler will tackle Ryan Searle in the seaside resort, looking to lift The Phil Taylor Trophy for the first time. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS List of all-time Darts World Champions BELOW is a list of darts world champions by year. The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions. That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once - Barney also won four BDO titles - and none of Eric Bristow's five BDO titles are included. 1994 - Dennis Priestley 1995 - Phil Taylor 1996 - Phil Taylor (2) 1997 - Phil Taylor (3) 1998 - Phil Taylor (4) 1999 - Phil Taylor (5) 2000 - Phil Taylor (6) 2001 - Phil Taylor (7) 2002 - Phil Taylor (8) 2003 - John Part 2004 - Phil Taylor (9) 2005 - Phil Taylor (10) 2006 - Phil Taylor (11) 2007 - Raymond van Barneveld 2008 - John Part (2) 2009 - Phil Taylor (12) 2010 - Phil Taylor (13) 2011 - Adrian Lewis 2012 - Adrian Lewis (2) 2013 - Phil Taylor (14) 2014 - Michael van Gerwen 2015 - Gary Anderson 2016 - Gary Anderson (2) 2017 - Michael van Gerwen (2) 2018 - Rob Cross 2019 - Michael van Gerwen (3) 2020 - Peter Wright 2021 - Gerwyn Price 2022 - Peter Wright (2) 2023 - Michael Smith 2024 - Luke Humphries 2025 - Luke Littler Most World Titles 14 - Phil Taylor 3 - Michael van Gerwen 2 - John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright 1 - Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler Former world champion Michael Smith – who lost to Cross in the 2019 World Matchplay final – is not part of the 32-man field for the first time in 12 years after slumping to 21st spot on the PDC Order of Merit. The winner of the World Matchplay will receive a £200,000 prize with £100,000 going to the runner-up – those figures rise by £25,000 respectively for the 2026 tournament. There will also be a Women's World Matchplay for the fourth successive time, with Beau Greaves as the defending champion.
The Sun
11-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Raymond van Barneveld granted exemption to play in darts tournament as five-time world champion accepts wildcard invite
DARTS legend Raymond van Barneveld has been granted permission to join the World Seniors Tour. The 58-year-old has been named as the final wildcard for the 2025 Champion of Champions. 2 Barney will take on 11 other legends of the sport at the tournament in Portsmouth on June 29. The Dutch icon currently holds a PDC Tour Card. He was given special permission by the PDC to appear in the event later this month. Van Barneveld began his darts pro career way back in 1987. He started in the BDO, winning four world titles before joining the PDC in 2006. Barney added the PDC crown a year later, cementing his place as a legend of the sport. The Dutchman still plays on the Tour, but his last major televised final came in the 2018 Masters. He will go up against stars including Simon Whitlock, Steve Beaton and Mervyn King in Portsmouth. Van Barneveld said: "I am looking forward to playing in this event. "The sport has always loved big characters, and World Seniors Darts have brought them back, with most still playing to a high standard. "They have a loyal crowd, and the popularity for the Seniors seems to grow and grow. "I'm looking forward to catching up with the old faces of the sport, especially from my BDO era. "I'm not coming over to Portsmouth thinking this will be easy. "I will be giving my full respect to all of the players involved, and I will be preparing hard for this tournament". "To have the likes of Simon Whitlock, Steve Beaton and Mervyn King, who have not long come off the Professional Tour, and then Seniors World Champions like John [Henderson], Robert [Thornton], and Ross [Montgomery] also playing, it's going to be a real battle out there to take the title".
The Sun
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Get two FREE tickets to a star-studded darts event with Sun Club
GET two FREE tickets and see some darting superstars step up to the oche if you join Sun Club today. We have thousands of exclusive tickets available for Sun Club members worth £70, thanks to Modus. 2 There are 10 events across England and Scotland and each one promises a superb set of darts players. Choose from any of the events below... A Mecca Night at the Darts Dundee - Wednesday, July 9 - featuring Adrian Lewis, Simon Whitlock and Devon Peterson A Mecca Night at the Darts Glasgow - Thursday, July 10 - featuring Adrian Lewis, Simon Whitlock and Devon Peterson A Mecca Night at the Darts Burton-on-Trent - Wednesday, September 17 - featuring Raymond Van Barneveld, Adrian Lewis and Joe Cullen A Mecca Night at the Darts Dagenham - Thursday, September 18 - featuring Adrian Lewis, Robert Thornton and Kevin Painter A Mecca Night at the Darts Oldham - Thursday, September 25 - featuring Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting and Adrian Lewis A Mecca Night at the Darts Stockton - Wednesday, November 5 - featuring Adrian Lewis, Stephen Bunting and Devon Peterson A Mecca Night at the Darts Exeter - Wednesday, November 19 - featuring Adrian Lewis, Raymond Van Barneveld and Stephen Bunting A Mecca Night at the Darts Bolton - Thursday, November 27 - featuring Chris Dobey, Stephen Bunting and Adrian Lewis A Mecca Night at the Darts Southend - Wednesday, December 10 - featuring Adrian Lewis, Simon Whitlock and Steve Beaton A Mecca Night at the Darts Thanet - Thursday, December 11 - featuring Adrian Lewis, Simon Whitlock and Steve Beaton How to book your free darts tickets with Sun Club Sun Club Membership Programme To book your darts tickets join Sun Club now for just £1.99 a month for your first year. Following this, £4.99 a month. Or £12 for an annual subscription for the first 12 months, then £49.99 a year thereafter. Then head to the Offers Hub Darts Page, click the 'Redeem Booking Code' button. Your unique booking code will appear on this page. Click the 'Copy' button and then hit 'Book', you will be directed to The Sun page on the Modus Darts website to book your tickets. First select the 'Ticket Type' 'The Sun Standard', then make sure the 'Quantity Box' has ONE selected, this will grant you ONE PAIR of tickets. You will receive your tickets via email. 18+ Terms & Conditions apply, There are thousands tickets available on a first come, first served basis, so make sure to book your tickets as soon as possible so that you do not miss out! Modus darts events bring the world's best players to local towns and cities across the UK, guaranteeing an unforgettable night of world-class action where you will witness legendary players and rising stars take to the oche to showcase their skills. 2 A selection of world-class players will go head-to-head on stage, including former world champions Gerwyn Price, Adrian Lewis and Raymond van Barneveld. Plus, see fan favourites such as Stephen 'The Bullet' Bunting and Nathan 'The Asp' Aspinall up close and personal too. 18+ UK residents only (exc. NI, Isle of Man & Channel Islands). Subject to availability. 5,000 tickets available on a first come, first served basis. Digital Newspaper and Sun Club subscribers book from 11am on 28/04/25. Online access required. Booking closes when tickets sale out. Full T&Cs apply, see below.
The Sun
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
European Darts Open LIVE RESULTS: Tournament on NOW as Stephen Bunting and Nathan Aspinall feature on day two
THE EUROPEAN Darts Open is here live from Leverkusen - and there has been a shock early exit! Four-time PDC World Cup of Darts winner Raymond van Barneveld went crashing out in the first round at the hands of Andreas Harryson. Stephen Bunting enters as the No 1 seed and is joined by Premier League Darts semi-finalist Nathan Aspinall. Prem winner Luke Humphries and runner-up Luke Littler are both not featuring in the tournament. While Michael van Gerwen is also absent as he takes a break from the sport following his split from wife Daphne. Follow ALL of the latest updates below...
