Raymond Van Barneveld no longer throws arrows - at least not as a professional. At the World Cup in London, the Dutchman lost 1: 3 against outsider Darin Young from the USA in the first round. The five-time world champion had already announced that he would end his career after the tournament.
After the decisive darts, the 52-year-old left the stage quickly. In the subsequent "Sky" interview, he was disappointed. "I will never forgive myself for this disastrous year 2019. Never in life," said Van Barneveld. "I played really bad today."
"I will never forgive myself - never ever." ☹
An emotional Raymond van Barneveld speaks to Sky Sports after his shock exit at the World Darts Championship: https://t.co/w7H5eTbhcx #RvB pic.twitter.com/hX4DBE2pSC
"I enjoy absolutely nothing, it's the worst year of my life," Van Barneveld said in the summer. His last tournament victory was more than five years ago, most recently his career was characterized by motivation problems and private setbacks.
The favorite and crowd favorite quickly fell behind Young. In the end, Van Barneveld had the better point cut, but at the crucial moments Young had the stronger nerves and changed his first match dart.
It is the biggest surprise of the tournament so far. Young has been eliminated eight times in the first round of his nine World Cup appearances, only in 2010 was he able to win a match. On Tuesday he meets the next Dutchman, Jeffrey de Zwaan.