VAN BARNEVELD TAKES BREAK FROM DARTS

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD is set to take a break from darts in a bid to rediscover both his form and his love for the sport.

The five-time world champion has revealed he will step away from large parts of the PDC circuit after this week’s Players Championship 17 and 18 events in Leicester. 

Barney, 58, says he will still honour exhibition commitments but plans to scale back his tournament schedule until September as he attempts to mentally and physically recharge. 

He told NU.nl: “I still have some exhibitions scheduled. I’ll play those, but otherwise I’m stepping back until September. 

“I’ll still pick a few, but I’m going to skip multiple tournaments. Carrying on like this makes no sense whatsoever. Not even if it costs me the World Championship.”

Van Barneveld has endured a nightmare run on the Euro Tour this season, crashing out in the first round at four consecutive events while also failing to reach a single quarter-final on the floor. 

The Dutch legend has struggled badly for form in recent months and openly admitted his confidence has collapsed. 

He added: “My form isn’t just a bit off, it’s completely gone. It’s mega — really mega — bad.

“Compare me to a footballer. He gets injured, recovers, makes his comeback in the reserves, and slowly returns to the first team. 

“Well, I’m chronically injured, especially mentally, and I can’t recover. Right now it’s incredibly tough for me.” 

The time spent away from the oche will also allow Van Barneveld to focus on a major life change as he prepares to move to England with girlfriend Julia. 

On May 26, Van Barneveld will receive the keys to his new home in Milton Keynes, a location chosen partly because of its close proximity to PDC venues. 

He continued: “People don’t need to worry that I’m gone for good. My children feared that too. 

“I’ll shuttle between The Hague and England every few weeks. But I won’t rule out settling there if I like it. 

“It’s got five bedrooms and three bathrooms. 

“It’s already fully carpeted and painted, so you can basically move straight in. But you still need to buy a little TV, a sofa, and a small fridge, right.” 

The world No38 is beginning a new partnership with Invictus Darts Management, where he will work closely with Steve Mottershead — the former manager of rival Phil Taylor. 

Van Barneveld admits the encouragement from Mottershead has already had an impact. 

He said: “Steve said recently: your head belongs on darts’ Mount Rushmore. You’re one of the four faces of the sport. 

“That did open my eyes a bit.” 

Despite his struggles, Van Barneveld insists retirement is not currently on the cards as he remains desperate to finish his career on a high. 

He explained: “Because I don’t want to be remembered as the wall of complaints. I want to win tournaments. 

“It can flip just like that. Although it seems like opponents always bring their A-game against me.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.