Dimitri van den Bergh makes 'I had to get out of there' admission after withdrawing from darts - The Mirror

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Dimitri Van den Bergh has made his return to competitive darts at the World Cup of Darts following a recent hiatus that began in April. The 30-year-old chose to step back from the sport indefinitely after suddenly pulling out of a Players Championship event just minutes before his scheduled match, later explaining that he "had to get out of there."

Van den Bergh resumed play on Thursday, teaming up with Mike De Decker to represent Belgium in the tournament held in Frankfurt. The pair kicked off their campaign strongly with a 4-1 victory over Latvia in Group B, but then suffered a shock 4-3 defeat to the Philippines to finish in second place - marking Belgium's first elimination in the group stage in World Cup history.

Van den Bergh's reappearance comes after a mysterious and sudden exit from the professional scene, which he attributed to both mental strain and physical exhaustion following seven demanding years on the PDC Pro Tour. He notably withdrew moments before facing Jose De Sousa during Players Championship 13 on April 14, catching fans and fellow competitors off guard.

The following day, he was also absent from Players Championship 14, further fuelling speculation. In the weeks that followed, Van den Bergh went completely silent - disappearing from public view and staying away from media.

He has since shared that he had hit a personal breaking point, prompting him to step back, reset mentally, and reconnect with loved ones. Speaking to HLN this week, Van den Bergh recalled: "I was in the wrong place in Rosmalen, and I had to get out of there.

"I was preparing myself and no part of my body said that I was ready to play a tournament, let alone win. I let it get this far myself... but sometimes you just have to dare to take a step back to take a few steps forward. Rejuvenate well. That's what I'm fully engaged in."

He also told Het Nieuwsblad: "I was in a difficult position, so I had to take a step back. That was daring. But only in this way can I possibly take several steps forward in time. I have received a lot of support since then, sometimes from surprising places.

"That has been nice. There is more to life than darts, I am also sometimes told. They are right. I played all the tournaments for a very long time, but now I know I need to manage a lot more."

His long-time manager, Mac Elkin, who has overseen Van den Bergh's career for 12 years and helped guide him to a UK Open title in 2024, acknowledged that the hectic tour schedule had left the Belgian star feeling "burnt out."

Elkin commented: "I speak to Dimi every day and he sounds hugely positive. He has chosen to finally take a real rest. Dimi has been playing every tournament on the calendar for 10 years, and that has taken its toll. So like everyone else, he needed a break, to get away from it all.

"I'm sitting here in the sun right now, recharging my batteries. Only then will I feel like doing my job again. Just ask Luke Humphries and Michael Smith what they think of the busy schedule. For both, there was a moment in their careers when they wanted to quit.

"The season is so packed. And Dimi - who also has to travel often for tournaments - had to play everything because of his ranking. Then on top of that came the Premier League and the World Series. He just completely burnt himself out."

In his seven previous World Cup appearances, Van den Bergh has reached the semi-final stage four times, mostly with Kim Huybrechts as his partner. He'll now have to wait until next year to go one further and book Belgium's place in the final for just the second time - and the first since 2013.