“I don't know how the Swedish public would react if there were two Dutch-born players representing Sweden” – Jeffrey de Graaf on possible World Cup pairing with Kevin Doets

Jeffrey de Graaf will once again represent Sweden at the World Cup of Darts next week. In the podcast Darts Draait Door, the Dutch-Swedish darter discussed his partnership with Oskar Lukasiak, his life in Sweden, and the possibility of Kevin Doets playing for Sweden in the future.

As tenth seed, Sweden is once again among the seeded nations at the World Cup of Darts. That puts the Scandinavian duo straight into the group stage. De Graaf has fond memories of the tournament, but he also often thinks back to the missed chances from two years ago.

He now forms a well-drilled pairing with Lukasiak. “We get along really well. We're a fairly close team and we play doubles together throughout the year. We know each other well and we know what to expect from one another."

Even so, De Graaf says it always depends on the form both players bring to the national team event. “At the same time, form is always a factor. I think we're in a slightly better position this year than we were last year. Last year neither of us was really in top form. My own game is definitely in better shape now than it was a year ago, so I have more confidence going into it."

When asked which exit hurt more, the defeat to Scotland in 2023 or the loss to Hong Kong in the last 16 in 2024, De Graaf didn’t have to think long. “Scotland. We really let opportunities slip there.”

The Swede still recalls exactly which opportunities were missed. “We really let opportunities slip there. I remember missing tops and hitting double one, and Oskar missed doubles as well. That was a match we could have won."

The quarterfinal against Scotland was ultimately lost 8-7. According to De Graaf, that was a missed opportunity to go even deeper in the tournament. He is more pragmatic about the defeat to Hong Kong a year later. “Against Hong Kong last year, they were simply better than us. Especially Man Lok Leung — he hardly missed anything. I think he was 100 per cent on his doubles and averaging around 107. We just weren't in good enough form that day."

Vincent van der Voort was also impressed by the Hong Kong duo. Man Lok Leung is a very good player anyway. He was outstanding in that tournament.” De Graaf was mainly frustrated afterwards because Hong Kong performed much worse in the next round. “It was a shame, because the next day Hong Kong weren't nearly as good. We might have had a better chance if we'd got through.”

Although De Graaf now represents Sweden, his Dutch background is still a frequent topic. Especially with more talk about the possibility of Kevin Doets playing for Sweden in the future.

De Graaf understands the debate but stresses that his situation is different. “He lives here, his child is Swedish, and he's not going anywhere.”

For him, a Swedish sporting passport now feels completely natural. “At some point it becomes a case of: "I live in Sweden, my life is here, everything I do is in Sweden. For me, the Swedish route is what got me back onto the Tour, so it was a natural decision."

De Graaf is now fully integrated in his new homeland. He even speaks the language almost fluently. “Yeah, I can speak Swedish. I just can’t write in Swedish.” When asked if he is truly fluent, he confirmed it. “Reasonably fluently. I don't sound Swedish, that's for sure, but I can speak it fluently. I understand everyone."

Even Swedish podcasts are no problem anymore. “I've even appeared on a few Swedish podcasts, so that all goes pretty well.” Van der Voort expressed his admiration for that effort. “A lot of people don't make the effort. We have plenty of people in the Netherlands who have lived here for twenty years and still don't speak a word of Dutch. I think it's great when people make the effort to integrate."

The prospect of Sweden fielding two originally Dutch players at the World Cup in the long run sparked plenty of laughter on the podcast. Yet De Graaf also sees a downside. “It would certainly be nice. On the other hand, I don't know how the Swedish public would react if there were two Dutch-born players representing Sweden.”

At the moment he experiences a lot of understanding from the Swedish darts scene. “People understand my situation now. If there were two of us, I'm not completely sure how that would go down.” Still, De Graaf believes good results solve everything. “But if we're getting results, I don't think it would matter too much.”