VAN DEN BERGH FIGHTING TO SAVE TOUR CARD

DIMITRI Van den Bergh has set himself the goal of retaining his PDC TOUR CARD.

‘The Dreammaker’ won the World Matchplay crown and lifted the UK Open title just two years ago. 

But the Belgian endured a major slump in form last season, failing to reach a single semi-final on either the ProTour or European events.  

World No.26 Van den Bergh also failed to qualify for six PDC major events, marking a stark fall from grace for one of the sport’s top players.

Van den Bergh concedes he is feeling dejected and knows he must strengthen his mental resolve at the oche. 

He told ViaPlay: “That miserable feeling is still continuing. I’m working incredibly hard on it. 

“I have my medical team; I’m trying everything to get myself back to where I want to be — back to where I dream of being.  

“But right now, I still feel nailed to the ground. It still hurts a lot inside. 

“I’m far away from the majors at the moment, and I do have a lot to defend. I won the UK Open two years ago, reached the semi-finals of the Grand Prix against Mike [De Decker]. 

“The World Cup of Darts doesn’t count towards the ranking. So I don’t have to defend that, but I’ve had enough other good tournaments that I do need to defend. 

“Honestly, I want to still have my Tour Card at the end of the year so I can keep working on myself. 

“I can still hit 15-darters, 11-darters, high finishes — I can still do all of that. It’s just the mental aspect where I need to become stronger. 

“That wasn’t my best choice of words. It’s not ‘just.’ It’s incredibly tough to keep competing among the very best.” 

Dimi revealed he is no longer enjoying the game but is determined to elevate his performances and reclaim his place among the elite. 

He added: “For myself, at the moment, no. It hurts a lot that I can’t feel that enjoyment right now — that it doesn’t make me happy at the moment.  

“I’ve been able to feel that for many years, and I hope to find it again. 

“If you have to travel while knowing you’re in pain and not getting much enjoyment out of it, then you leave with a feeling of, ‘This doesn’t feel great.’ 

“Why wouldn’t I be able to reach that level again? It would be crazy to say now that I can never throw that well again. 

“I want to come back stronger than before. That’s what I find most important.” 

Van den Bergh has tightened up his routine by adopting a strict clean-eating plan and structured gym programme to boost his stamina and sharpness on the big stage. 

He continued: “Welcome to my world, guys. At the moment, I don’t really know exactly where the problem lies myself. 

“If you can’t figure it out yourself anymore, you need to look for support or bring in professionals. And I’m already doing that. 

“Living a healthy lifestyle is a big factor; it gives you so much more energy and makes you stronger mentally and physically. 

“I believe that’s something darts players should look at more closely. The Tour is incredibly tough, and you get so many opportunities.  

“All aspects around darts need to be taken much more seriously. That’s my next step.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.