BARNEY ADMITS ILLNESS STRUGGLE
08/03/2025 By Phil Lanning
By Phil Lanning
LEGEND Raymond van Barneveld admits he has been “struggling mentally” after being very ill.
The five-times World Champion has opened up for the first time on a tough start to 2025.
Barney, 57, won his opening clash at the Belgian Open against Cam Crabtree which he also described as “crap” and a change of SHOES.
But he also revealed off-stage issues. He said: “I’ve been struggling mentally in recent weeks.
“I was very ill in January, and it’s still taking its toll. I’m tired every day, so I’m just trying to fight my way to better results.”
On his win over Crabtree, he added: “I was really nervous at the start, I don’t know why. Last week at the UK Open, I tried several setups, but they didn’t work.
“So, in front of a crowd like this, I was quite nervous.”
The Dutch ace made a quick start against Crabtree but it was a tense encounter and he finally got over the line to win 6-4.
He continued: “I put myself in trouble. 60s, 45s… That wasn’t happening on the practice board, where I was only hitting 140s and 180s.
“But I’m happy with the win; it wasn’t an easy match for me. What can I say, it was crap.”
Van Barneveld also debuted a new pair of shoes from New Balance.
He said: “They’re much higher, so I feel more comfortable. I used to always wear traditional shoes. Mickey Mansell said, ‘you’re the only one still wearing those old shoes.’”
Images by Taylor Lanning.
