Belgian darts is going through a difficult spell. For the first time in years, no Belgian player will compete at the European Championship. That is a major blow for Kim Huybrechts in particular, after he narrowly missed out on qualification at the Dutch Darts Championship. Former professional darts player Erik Clarys is especially concerned about Dimitri Van den Bergh’s future. He believes Van den Bergh could even lose his PDC Tour Card.

Mike De Decker represented Belgium at the European Championship last year, but this time there will be no Belgian players in the field. Belgian darts fans will therefore have to follow the tournament in Dortmund without a player of their own to support.

Huybrechts came closest to earning a place. The Antwerp native had four match darts at the Dutch Darts Championship to keep his qualification hopes alive, but missed them all. His campaign was over too.

“Everything that could go wrong did go wrong,” Clarys told Sporza. The former professional believes Huybrechts’ play was not even the main problem. “He’s in the firing line at the moment.”

Clarys fears for Van den Bergh’s future

Belgium’s absence from the European Championship is a major disappointment, but Clarys sees no reason to question the overall standard of Belgian darts. Huybrechts, in particular, has enjoyed a spell of strong form, in his view.

“This is just a snapshot,” Clarys stressed. “Kim is playing incredibly well, but Mike De Decker and Dimitri Van den Bergh have slipped a little.”

Since his surprise victory at the World Grand Prix, De Decker has been unable to build on that success. Clarys suspects the added expectations may have contributed to his compatriot’s inconsistent results.

“Mike may have felt a little too much pressure after winning the World Grand Prix, or perhaps he’s putting in slightly less time. But he is working his way back.”

Clarys is far less optimistic about Van den Bergh. The former World Matchplay champion has struggled for form for some time and has dropped considerably in the PDC Order of Merit. Clarys fears the consequences for his compatriot could be severe.

“With Dimi, we know it’s a mental issue. His ranking is very poor at the moment, and there’s a nine-in-ten chance he’ll lose his Tour Card. I fear the worst for his career if that happens. Things look very bleak.”

Will Van den Bergh still be on the PDC circuit in 2027?

“There’s no need to worry”

Despite the disappointing performances of Belgium’s best-known players, Clarys refuses to take a bleak view of the sport’s future in his country. He believes there is enough talent coming through to deliver new successes in the years ahead.

“There are young players coming through. We shouldn’t be too quick to think that darts in Belgium is over. It’s only a matter of time,” Clarys said.

He also believes the current generation still has enough quality to win matches at the highest level. Results have fallen short, but that does not mean the Belgians are consistently outclassed, the former professional said.

“There’s no need to worry. The level is genuinely good at the moment, judging by the averages Mike, Kim and Mario (Vandenbogaerde) are producing. Those numbers are good enough to win matches.”

For now, Belgian players are mainly struggling to deliver at the decisive moments. Clarys hopes that will change at the upcoming World Darts Championship. “It’s been like this for a year or two. Hopefully, we can turn things around soon. Who knows, perhaps three or four Belgians will have a good World Championship, and then we’ll be talking very differently.”