"Suddenly I realized a lot was still possible in my career" - Wessel Nijman returns stronger than ever after suspension

Wessel Nijman was suspended for two and a half years in 2020 after deliberately losing a match during the Modus Icons of Darts League, an online tournament during the corona pandemic.

Nijman immediately admitted his guilt, and because he cooperated with the investigation, he was not suspended for five years as originally demanded, but "only" two and a half years. He was then required to cooperate with an education effort by the players' union PDPA to warn other players for the dangers of match-fixing. Upon his return in 2023, he immediately won the Open Rivierenland, a tournament of the Dutch Darts Association (NDB).

"At the beginning of my suspension, however, I completely put my arrows aside," says the now 23-year-old Nijman. "I didn't feel like it at all for a while and during that period I completely threw myself into my work and did a huge amount of overtime. There wasn't much to do that period anyway because you had to stay inside as much as possible because of the pandemic."

"But when I immediately won Open Rivierenland after my suspension it started itching again. I realized that there was still a huge potential in my career and with the support of Darryl Fitton (former top dart player and now ambassador for Mission Darts) I was also able to play on the Development Tour."

In principle, Nijman was also allowed to play in the Modus Super Series that year. "But I suddenly got a phone call from the director of the Dutch Darts Association that even if I became Dutch Champion, I wouldn't get that ticket for the Modus Super Series. I understood that too, after all, I incurred my suspension during a tournament of theirs.

"I would have declined participation anyway," Nijman continued. "Suppose that in a tournament of theirs you ever lose another game somewhat with a question mark, there will always be doubts and you shouldn't want that."