"I was sick all week" - Jurjen van der Velde recalls title at Europe Cup Youth 2018

From July 16 to 19, De Bonte Wever in Assen will be the setting for a true darts spectacle: the Winmau WDF Europe Cup Youth 2025. For the fourth time in history the Nederlandse Darts Bond (NDB) organizes this prestigious youth tournament - this time in its own country. A wonderful opportunity for the young talents to shine on Dutch soil and compete for the European titles.

Dutch darters have a rich history at this tournament. One of the most famous successes is Jurjen van der Velde's European singles title in 2018. In Turkey, the then 15-year-old dart player from Haulerwijk wrote history. The NDB spoke to the now 22-year-old Van der Velde about his memories of that special tournament and his ambitions for the future.

In the meantime, how is Van der Velde doing? "Everything is going well! I work on my parents' farm and also train a lot. My girlfriend and I have just returned from a wonderful vacation in Mallorca. Since the beginning of this year we have been living together in Haulerwijk. Now it's time to focus completely on darts again."

Van der Velde reminisces about the 2018 Europe Cup. "That was my first Europe Cup Youth in the shirt of Orange. I was 15 years old at the time. That year I also became Dutch junior ranking champion and made my debut at the 4 Nations Tournament, where I won the singles tournament. So I left for Turkey with a lot of confidence. I was really in top form."

"I especially remember being sick all week! From the moment we arrived I didn't feel well. Probably I had eaten something wrong. Right before my first pairing match with Marcel Bus I even threw up. The following days I lived almost solely on bananas - that's how lousy I was."

And yet he won the tournament. "Yes, unbelievable actually. Even though I felt bad, my game was top notch. Maybe because I felt less pressure because of my physical condition. Marcel and I made it to the quarterfinals in the pairs tournament, and in the singles I kept winning. In the end, I was in the European Championship final!"

"That final was incredibly exciting," Van der Velde continued. "I was playing against Keane Barry from Ireland, already an established name in youth at the time. The match went evenly and came down to the all-decisive leg. He was on 160, I was on 155. He started with 60. Then I was: triple 20, step back.... triple 19, step back... and double 19! Everything was shaking, but he went in. I became European champion!"

What did Van der Velde take away from that European Championship toward the future? "Mostly a lot of experience. A year later I was in the European Championship final again, although I lost to Leighton Bennett. After that I also became world champion at the JDC, on the stage of Alexandra Palace. But that victory over Barry showed me: if I believe in myself, I can take on anyone."

In two weeks, the European Championships will take place in Assen - practically around the corner from Van der Velde. "Right! My girlfriend is from Assen and Haulerwijk is just around the corner. I have often been to De Bonte Wever, including the Dutch Open. Fantastic that the European Championship is held in the Netherlands again. I still follow youth darts a bit. With guys like Ruben Baalmans and Kendji Steinbach there is a strong new batch coming up."

The 22-year-old Dutchman is currently without a PDC Tour Card, but remains committed to his darts career. "I train a lot and try to play as many tournaments as possible to stay sharp. Last year I lost my Tour Card, so I am now focusing on getting back on the professional circuit. I'm playing the Development Tour, the SuperLeague and also competing in the NDB Ranking tournaments again next season. And later this year I'll be at the PDC's Grand Slam of Darts! A great experience. We are going there with a nice group, and I am really going to enjoy it. You never know when an opportunity like that will come again."