BREAKING: Dave Pallett in sudden withdrawal from WDF World Championship at Lakeside due to "personal reasons"
WDFSaturday, 29 November 2025 at 11:27
David Pallett has withdrawn from the 2025 WDF World Championships, with confirmation arriving on Saturday morning in a surprise announcement from the WDF. The seeded Englishman was due to open his campaign on Tuesday evening but informed organisers of his decision before a dart had been thrown, forcing an immediate replacement to be found.
The governing body released the following statement: “For personal reasons, David Pallett has withdrawn from the 2025 WDF World Championships. As David informed us of this decision before the first dart of the tournament was thrown, he has been replaced in the draw by the first reserve – Germany’s Marcus Maier. Maier will face Sybren Gijbels in the second round of the tournament on Tuesday evening.”
Sudden exit raises questions
The timing comes as a surprise. Less than 24 hours earlier, David Pallett had shown strong form in the Modus Super Series, competing in five matches, winning four, and securing a place in the Finals Night of Week 13. His performances there suggested he was entering the World Championships in good rhythm, making the abrupt withdrawal even more unexpected.
His scheduled opponent had been Belgian newcomer Sybren Gijbels, who was set to close out Tuesday evening’s session. Instead, that slot will now be taken by 51-year-old German reserve Marcus Maier, who steps directly into round two for his WDF World Championship debut — despite not having thrown a dart in the tournament before being drafted in.
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