"The players’ union needs to step in - this just isn’t right” - Van Barneveld's last-gasp World Grand Prix qualification draws stinging criticism of 'flawed system'

Raymond van Barneveld narrowly secured his spot at the World Grand Prix over the weekend, earning the five-time world champion yet another appearance at a major tournament. Fellow Dutchman Vincent van der Voort analysed Van Barneveld’s performance on the Darts Draait Door podcast, while once again voicing strong criticism of the current qualification system.

According to Van der Voort, Van Barneveld’s qualification was due not only to his own efforts but also to a number of favourable circumstances. “He faced someone in the first round who wasn’t particularly strong. That makes a big difference,” said ‘The Dutch Destroyer’.

Van Barneveld also had luck on his side in his match against Damon Heta. “Heta had a match dart, but Raymond managed to pull off the win. Then Ross Smith dropped out, so he ended up playing Ritchie Edhouse. Sometimes things just go your way.”

It was indicative of the path Van Barneveld took to qualify, which Van der Voort said was largely thanks to just a couple of quarter-final appearances. “If you look at how Raymond qualified, it was probably off the back of just two quarter-finals. There are players who’ve performed much better but didn’t make it simply because they’re not high enough in the Pro Tour rankings. I’m happy for Raymond, but the system is completely flawed.”

On the other side of the coin is Dave Chisnall. The Englishman finished 17th in both the Order of Merit and the Pro Tour rankings – just missing out on qualification.

“That’s tough, but you can’t say he didn’t have chances,” said Van der Voort. “He was seeded for all the Euro Tours but lost his opening match nine times in a row. Then you simply don’t deserve to qualify. But if you lose that often early on and still come close, it shows there’s something wrong with the system.”

The Dutchman player believes the Euro Tour qualification system needs serious attention. “Something really has to change. The players’ union needs to step in here, because this just isn’t right.”

Still, Van der Voort emphasised that Van Barneveld also earned his spot through his own sporting efforts – particularly in the match against Heta. “That was a genuinely good match from both players. But it had drama too – Heta took a big finish and missed a match dart. If that had gone in, it would’ve been over. Raymond was absolutely relieved.”

That tension, he believes, influenced the rest of the weekend. “The match against Edhouse was essentially a tournament within a tournament. He knew: ‘I have to make the Grand Prix.’ Once he managed that, the relief was huge. After that, it’s tough to get yourself going again – and Bunting played very well.”

Van der Voort also noticed that Van Barneveld struggled to maintain his top level throughout. “I told him he needs to speed up his game, use shorter shafts, tighten everything up. But that’s hard to sustain – especially at his age. When your level dips, it starts to look like you’re just scraping by. He’s still got plenty of talent, so it’s passable – but not as sharp as it should be.”

According to Van der Voort, preparation is also a factor. “He’s always been someone who warms up for ages – sometimes even three hours before a match. But as you get older and your energy wanes, you have to pace yourself better. Maybe he should actually throw less in warm-up and save his energy for the match itself. But that’s a tough habit to break when you’ve done it your whole career.”

The reality now is that Van Barneveld has to play everything – Euro Tours, Pro Tours, you name it. In the past, he was far more selective. “He never liked playing the Euro Tours, and preferred to skip the Pro Tours as well. Now he’s playing it all, because he has no choice. In fact, the schedule’s heavier than ever,” said Van der Voort.

Still, he’s not writing him off. “If there’s energy in his game and he’s playing with intensity, he can still hit that high level. You saw that against Heta – nearly a 98 average, sharp on the doubles, high tempo, tight grouping. The only problem is doing that three days in a row – that’s the hard part.”