EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW | "Proud to be representing the Swiss flag there" - Stefan Bellmont looks ahead to the upcoming World Darts Championships

The biggest tournament of the year, the PDC World Darts Championship, begins on December 15th. There, Stefan Bellmont will be the first Swiss darter to take to the PDC stage at the Ally Pally when he plays his first round match against Jermaine Wattimena in the second match of the session on the opening evening.

"I've never played him before," Bellmont told Dartsnews.de. "I know he plays a bit faster, he's called 'Machine Gun'. I'm trying to concentrate on myself, that I don't take on his pace, that I play my game. I'll see for myself how it works on stage. There are so many small factors that come together. If it had been someone else who is rather slow - I'll just say Mensur Suljovic, who is rather slow - it's the opposite. There are always little things that you see in the pros. You have to keep an eye on that a bit, but I still think the most important thing is to play my game, because then it goes well, then I can reach my potential."

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If he wins, 'Belli' will face James Wade in the second round. Something the Swiss is not worried about. "I think every name is big in the second round. I'm happy to be in both World Championships, but it's not that I'm (just) going there and coming home. When I start the game I want to win, but my focus is really on Wattimena now. I know what's going to happen, who's coming, but I'm not concerned with that right now. I'm not interested in that right now. The important things for me now are Wattimena and Sunday, December 15. Those are the two points that are buzzing around in my head."

Bellmont is proud to be the first Swiss ever to compete in the PDC World Darts Championship. He achieved this qualification at the West European Qualifier, which was held on November 16 in Kalkar (on the Lower Rhine). Here, the dart player from Cham ZG in Switzerland defeated Berry van Peer and Jurjen van der Velde, among others, before proving too strong in the final against Jimmy van Schie 7-6.

"That was really brutally tough to play," Bellmont recalled of the memorable day. "I was 5-2 down and Jimmy played a huge tournament as well. He played really well all season and won a lot of tournaments. I knew it was going to be mega tough. I told myself at the tournament that I had to take the chances I got and make the most of them. At the beginning I missed darts - as I said, I was 5-2 down - but I always believed more (in myself) and I just had to take my chances and I took them. Then he comes back with 136 to make it 6-5. That was another blow to the neck, I'd say, but I fought back there too and took my first chance on the bullseye."

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"That was the hardest way. The last path is the most difficult path, but I overcame it and I made it through this qualification. I'm really proud to be able to represent the Swiss flag there."

If everything goes right, the signs are green for Bellmont to progress to the second round of the 2025 World Darts Championship. In the qualifier, he showed with averages of up to 100 (in the round of 16 match against Belgian Timothy Verbrugghe) that he is capable of improving his performance when it is required. This is partly due to his regular training with his compatriot Marcel Walpen.

"Training with Marcel now is really good quality. I know in training that when I play against him, I have to give my best. Otherwise, it's just not enough when we play different games against each other. I also think I've improved over the year," explained Bellmont, referring to his participation and performance at the Challenge Tour tournaments in the 2024 season.

Stefan Bellmont

"I have equal opponents on the Challenge Tour. I get the challenge I want there. It really is pure experience and I think that has everything to do with it."

The Swiss player finished the Challenge Tour Order of Merit in 12th place. This good ranking helped him to take part in almost all Players Championship tournaments as a substitute player. "The first Challenge Tours were important. I won the fourth Challenge Tour tournament and that made it possible for me to move up. If you can move up, there's nothing better. You fly to England during the week, get to play with the pros - that's simply experience you can't get anywhere else. That's also part of your development. Nobody can take that away from you."

Bellmont will not be making any major changes to his practice schedule with a view to the World Darts Championship. "I'll make my plan as much as I can," he explained his schedule. "The preparation with Cello (Marcel Walpen; editor's note), that had already started before (before the qualification), I'll continue with that. That will also continue. But otherwise, how I train, how many hours I do, that really stays the same, because I don't think I have to stand on the board for ten hours or think 'I have to, I have to, I have to...'. I want to maintain my rhythm, and then there are the other factors: I feel good, I know I've done it, it's going well. I'm still a bit rested and things have to go well in my private life and in business too. There are so many kinks in there that fit, and if it all goes well, then I'm happy and then I think I can really play my game."

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Finally, the conversation turned to the topic of Q-School. Bellmont will also take part in this next year. Due to his good ranking in the Challenge Tour Order of Merit, Belli can skip Stage One and will not enter the competition until the Final Stage. "That's an advantage, we don't even need to talk about it. I also prepare as normal, but with the aim of getting as close to the card as possible and I wouldn't turn it down if I got it," he said with a laugh.

In the event that he doesn't manage to win the TourCard, Bellmont already has a plan B in mind for 2025: "I don't want to put any pressure on myself. I know what's coming up next year with the Challenge Tour and SDC. I know the paths I can take. European Tour in Basel and NEXT GEN is also back. So there's a lot there as a path to follow. I'm not too worried about that."

"I can see that consistency has improved a little and that's why the results have remained stable or improved this year. I can already see that. I want to stay there and get a bit better. Simply step by step."

Stefan Bellmont at the SDC Tour 24

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