"I honestly thought: how’s that possible?” - Jamai van den Herik set for World Championship debut after surprising turn of events

What started as a frustrating and seemingly fruitless qualifying campaign has turned into a dream come true for Jamai van den Herik — a debut appearance at the iconic PDC World Darts Championship at London’s Alexandra Palace.

The 22-year-old Dutchman, who spends his days working in a clothing warehouse, will now be stepping onto the sport’s biggest stage, defying all expectations to earn a place among the world’s elite.

Not yet a full professional, Van den Herik has been plying his trade on the circuits below the PDC ProTour — the Development Tour, reserved for players aged 16 to 24, and the Challenge Tour, which features those without a Tour Card.

He’s already made his mark on both tours, claiming event wins and even hitting a nine-dart finish along the way. His talent was clear, but as is often the case in darts, it didn’t seem quite enough to make that final leap to the top level.

Van den Herik finished fifth on this year’s Development Tour Order of Merit — an impressive achievement, though only the top four automatically secured a place at the World Championship. His hopes hinged on a narrow possibility: if Owen Bates, who finished above him, qualified for Ally Pally through another route, his Development Tour spot would pass down to Van den Herik.

The Dutchman was there to witness Bates’ final attempt. “We get along well, and he knew that if he qualified through the pros, I’d take his place,” Van den Herik told AD.nl. “He really wanted it for me, but maybe that made him put a bit too much pressure on himself. It didn’t work out.”

Bates fell short, and with that, Van den Herik’s World Championship dream looked to be over before it had even begun.

Disheartened, he returned to his job in the warehouse. “I’d just told my colleagues that I’d narrowly missed out,” he said. But during a break, a message popped up on his phone — he’d been tagged in a post announcing that he had qualified for the World Championship after all. “I honestly thought: how’s that possible?”

The unexpected twist came after a place at the World Championship became vacant. The PDC opted to reallocate the spot to the Development Tour — and Van den Herik was next in line. “I felt enormous relief,” he said. “I’d had such a good year and came so close. I could already picture how it would feel to miss out, so to get the call instead was unbelievable.”

With his debut appearance secured, Van den Herik is guaranteed at least £17,000 in prize money — a life-changing amount for someone who, until recently, was working full-time in a warehouse. His team leader quickly granted him a few extra days off in December, with the World Championship kicking off on December 11 in London.

With his humble background and unlikely rise, Jamai van den Herik is already one of the feel-good stories of this year’s World Championship. Whether he bows out early or stuns the darting world, his name will forever be linked with the magic of the Alexandra Palace stage.