"I finally had a good feeling with my darts again" - Mike De Decker sees the positives despite home tournament disappointment in Flanders

The 2025 Flanders Darts Trophy ended in disappointment for home crowd hero Mike De Decker. The 29-year-old Belgian went down 6-3 in the second round against German Martin Schindler on Saturday night in Antwerp.

"It just wasn't good enough tonight," De Decker admitted honestly in post match conversation with HLN. "I played way too inconsistent and then you don't win, especially in the second round when you have to play one of the series leaders. The pressure also played a role, playing in front of my own audience always brings the necessary tension. However, I arrived early and during the warm-up I had a good feeling. Once the match started, I could not find that good feeling again. That 170 finish gave me some hope that I could still turn the lopsided situation around, but even after that it just remained too shaky."

As a result, De Decker looks back on last weekend with mixed feelings. "There were some very good moments, but also some very bad ones. It was insufficient and I know what that is. I just haven't trained enough in the past few months and then you can't and shouldn't really expect much more."

Yet despite the ultimate disappointment of losing, De Decker retains an overall positivity. "I finally had a good feeling with my darts again, I've been struggling with that for a long time. But now we made some adjustments and this feels much better."

Several more majors are scheduled this fall, including the World Grand Prix where De Decker will defend his title from last year. "There are definitely still working points toward those tournaments and I know what I need to do to be ready. Training work is important, that's true in any sport."