"He won’t be shaking this one off": Vincent van der Voort calls out missed opportunity with Marvin van Velzen's nickname
PDCThursday, 17 April 2025 at 16:00
Marvin van Velzen earned his first-ever PDC Tour Card earlier this year, marking a significant milestone in his young career. Since then, the 24-year-old Dutchman has been finding his footing on the Pro Tour, experiencing a mix of highs and lows. He currently sits 109th in the PDC Order of Merit.
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Van Velzen competed in the recent double-header of Players Championship events in Rosmalen. Tuesday saw an early exit for the Dutchman, falling at the first hurdle. However, on Monday he secured a notable victory, edging out five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 in a thrilling first-round encounter. His run was halted in the second round with a 6-3 defeat to Nick Kenny, but the win over Van Barneveld marked a personal highlight.
Van Velzen's performance even earned a mention in the latest episode of the popular podcast Darts Draait Door, where former professional Vincent van der Voort praised the youngster’s achievement.
"Raymond is still a massive name in the sport—someone a lot of players continue to look up to," Van der Voort commented.
Marvin van Velzen earlier this year at the Dutch Darts Championship
"The Cube" Makes an Impression
Van der Voort also pointed out a small detail that caught his eye: Van Velzen’s new playing shirt appeared to omit any reference to his nickname, “The Cube.”
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"A bit of a missed opportunity," Van der Voort chuckled. "I saw a video of him on StrongDarts where the quiz question was about his nickname. As a clue, he mimed a cube with his fingers."
“He can choose whatever nickname he likes,” Van der Voort added with a grin, “but he won’t be shaking this one off. He is The Cube.”
The Players Championship will now take a short break, with the next events scheduled for Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 May in Hildesheim, Germany. Van Velzen currently sits 93rd on the Players Championship Order of Merit, with only the top 64 securing a place at the Players Championship Finals. With the second half of the season still to come, there's work to be done—but also plenty of opportunity for The Cube to rise.
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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