"Is it my fault I’ve qualified for 2 World Championships?" – Jenson Walker devastated by WDF/ADC ultimatum as fans claim "Amateur darts continues to shoot itself in the foot"

Young English talent Jenson Walker has spoken out after being forced to make what he described as a “gutting” decision between the 2025 WDF World Championship at Lakeside and the ADC Global Championship — the two biggest events outside of the PDC system.

The 19-year-old, who secured his Lakeside qualification in Budapest last week, took to social media to express frustration at being placed in what he called an “ultimatum no dart player away from the PDC Pro Tour should ever have to go through.”

“It’s been a really frustrating seven days for myself,” Walker wrote. “I’ve worked my backside off to qualify for the Globals through the Modus system and the amount of travelling and hard work I’ve done to get myself to Lakeside has been huge as well."

“For the system to not be able to work around three people playing in both is bitterly disappointing. I’ll never know if I’ve made the right decision, but I’ve chosen to play at Lakeside. Is it really my fault I’ve qualified to play in two World Championships?”

Walker admitted the decision had been “mentally gruelling”, adding that he was “devastated” to have to turn down any world championship. Despite the disappointment, he confirmed his focus has now turned to Lakeside, where he faces Czech thrower Jiri Brejcha in the opening round, with David Fatum awaiting the winner.

The Lincolnshire youngster, who represents Target Darts, The Sportsman Management Company, and Lincolnshire County Darts, thanked his sponsors, family, and friends for their support during what he described as “a difficult week to endure.”

“I’m very excited to grace that Lakeside stage in my first men’s world championship,” he added. “Everybody who supports me deserved to know the situation I’ve been placed in. I won’t be mentioning it again, but it’s been an unbelievably tough decision.”

Walker’s heartfelt post quickly gained traction among darts fans, with many notable names on darts social media voicing anger over the sport’s fractured structure outside the PDC.

Jetze Jan Idsardi wrote: “It’s such a shame that, after the death of the BDO, the world of darts still hasn’t found a way to unite. Players shouldn’t be punished just because certain individuals are too egocentric. Jenson made the right decision here: it’s crazy that he even had to choose.”

Ben Hudd was similarly scathing: “Amateur darts continues to shoot itself in the foot and Jenson Walker is amongst the players who suffer from those absurd decisions.”

Meanwhile, Josh Pearson summed up the frustration shared by many: “Absolute shambles. If they’re not prepared to let him play, I’d be asking to be compensated for the amount of money spent to be able to travel and qualify.”

The row between the WDF and ADC calendars has thrown the ongoing divide in the amateur game back into the spotlight. Both organisations have made significant strides in rebuilding competitive pathways since the collapse of the BDO, yet a lack of cooperation continues to leave players like Walker caught in the middle.

With more than just Walker having qualified for both the WDF World Championship and ADC Global Series Finals, the refusal to accommodate scheduling overlap has been widely condemned by those online as short-sighted.

For Walker, though, the focus now shifts to what should be a milestone moment — his debut at the WDF World Championship. Whether the two organisations learn from the fallout remains to be seen, but the 19-year-old’s heartfelt post has struck a chord with a community increasingly weary of seeing its own progress undermined.