Darts icon delays honeymoon with British bride 18 years his younger to play in World Championships
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Former World Darts Championship winner Raymond van Barneveld has revealed that this year's tournament has gotten in the way of his honeymoon with his second wife.
Van Barneveld divorced his former partner of 25 years back in 2019 shortly after he was snapped with current partner Julia Evans.
The Dutchman then got down on one knee to propose to his lover Evans at the start of 2022.
The pair tied the knot this summer in Cyprus, but their honeymoon has been put on hold due to the World Darts Championships.
Raymond van Barneveld is bidding for his first world title since 2007
PA
Van Barneveld said: "It was a fantastic day — 60 people came over to Larnaca from England and Holland for the wedding.
"The disadvantage of darts is I need to travel all of the time. So we haven’t had the time to have a nice honeymoon.
"We are looking to this January after the World Championship — so I’m pretty sure I’ll be in the final then!
"It’s not so easy to go on holiday in January. It’s raining everywhere. You don’t want to sit somewhere and it’s raining for 14 days, right?
"We wanted to go Malaysia. But it’s raining there all day."
But despite the Dutchman putting the World Darts Championship ahead of his honeymoon plans, he doesn't feel confident about his chances.
The 56-year-old's only PDC world title came 17 years ago and he enters the world championship after a disappointing result at the Players Championship Finals.
"It’s not realistic now to say I’m going to lift the trophy. There are better players at the moment,' he admitted.
"When I won the world title in 2007, if somebody had said, 'Ray, this is the last time you’ll become world champion', I would have laughed and said, 'No. I’m going to win this more than three times more'. Which I never did.
"Next year I’ll want to be in the top 16 and in every Major. That’s a nice target to aim for."
Michael Smith is the defending world champion entering the tournament after he defeated Michael van Gerwen in last year's final.
Raymond van Barneveld is a popular figure at Ally Pally
PA
And he's admitted that being announced as the reigning champion will be a surreal moment when he walks out at the Alexandre Palace next week.
“It was unreal, a dream come true, and it only took that one leg – about 90 seconds – and it has helped change the sport.
"I cannot wait to get to Ally Pally now, because I will finally see myself holding that trophy on the [champions] wall.
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“If I am struggling, I can just look up and see it. I think that is going to give me the inspiration that I need.
"I’ll be very proud when John McDonald announces me as the reigning and defending champion, but I’ll also be sad as well because I don’t want it to end.
"I’m not quite ready to be called the former World Champion yet!”
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