(INTERVIEW) Former hot prospect Nico Blum back on darts circuit after years of absence

After years of absence, Nico Blum has finally made himself heard again. The 22-year-old German competed in the highly-contested Sapphire Trophy in Germany and managed to win this tournament, re-announcing himself to the darting world.

During the event, Blum won over PDC Tour Card holders Boris Krcmar and Ricardo Pietreczko, among others. Also among the competitors were Brian Raman, Rowby-John Rodriguez and Jermaine Wattimena.

''I'm definitely surprised that I won this tournament. I didn't throw the highest averages in my matches, but my timing was perfect each time,'' Blum commented to Dartsnieuws.com on his comeback.

Blum has thus resumed his career after not being seen on the circuit for several years. Blum used to be considered a great darts talent, competing for titles at youth tournaments especially with generational rival Justin van Tergouw.

''The past few years I have been busy with my studies, I was one hundred percent occupied with that,'' 'Flower Power' says. ''Meanwhile, I am a roofer and that is also my full-time job. My job also supports me that I picked up my darts career again. 'Do what you like,' they indicated."

In the years since Blum was absent, German darts has evolved solidly. ''We are indeed getting better and better,'' Blum concluded. ''That's great for the country. Max Hopp has played a big part in this and I'm sure he will return to the circuit one day. People need to give him some time to reset. Of course, Gabriel Clemens also did a great job for German darts with his semifinal finish at the World Darts Championship."

Blum, winner of the 2017 Youth World Masters, hopes to combine both jobs in the future. ''I'm going to play big tournaments again, but at the same time I'll also keep up my work. For this year, I am aiming to participate in some WDF tournaments.''

Furthermore, Blum hopes to participate in the PDC Europe Super League, formerly known as the German Super League. ''If they pick me for that, I would love to participate in that.''

A return to the PDC circuit is a possibility next year. ''If I get enough days off from work, I want to participate in the PDC Development Tour in 2024.'' Until then, Blum is focusing on his own game. ''I want to try to become more consistent and improve my whole game.''