Wessel Nijman has definitively secured qualification for the World Darts Championship via the PDC Development Tour. He will also receive a PDC Tour Card for the next two seasons.
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These two prizes had been looming for some time for Nijman, who has long been among the top three on the PDC Development Tour. Because number one Gian van Veen already has a Tour Card and will qualify for the World Championship via the Pro Tour, these prizes move on to the number three.
So that spot belongs to Nijman. Prior to the final day of the PDC Development Tour, the Dutchman already had a wide lead over his only remaining competitor Nathan Rafferty.
The Northern Irishman had to win both concluding tournaments to still pass Nijman. Moreover, Nijman would not be allowed to reach the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the darter from Uitgeest has already qualified for the last sixteen of PDC Development Tour 23, while Rafferty was eliminated in the last 32.
The day before, Luke Littler also secured qualification for the World Darts Championship and a PDC Tour Card. Over the next two seasons Nijman and Littler can compete with the absolute world top.
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He contributes to DartsNews.com, where he covers professional darts through news, match reports, analysis, and live coverage across the PDC calendar and major tournaments.
A key part of his work is on-site reporting from leading events. Kieran has covered the PDC World Darts Championship in person, reporting daily from the venue and providing first-hand insight from the tournament. During his coverage, he has conducted interviews with leading players including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price.
He is also one of the leading voices of the English-language Dartsnews Podcast, contributing regular analysis and discussion on developments across the professional darts circuit.
In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.
⭐🇳🇱 Wessel Nijman has qualified for his first PDC World Championship.
The Dutch youngster has come back with a bang after he served his ban, and has now also secured himself a Tour Card.
Fun fact: he is leading Littler 5-1 in their head-to-head this year 👀