Mike De Decker and Dimitri Van den Bergh will not feature at this weekend’s Blåkläder Flanders Darts Trophy in Antwerp after both were eliminated from the Host Nation Qualifier held today (Thursday 10 September).
The pair, Belgium’s highest-profile names, entered the one-day event open to eligible Belgian players (Tour Card holders may enter one Host Nation Qualifier per season if not already qualified via ranking).
Van den Bergh, returning after a spell away focusing on his throw, won two matches before falling in the quarter-finals to former WDF World Champion Andy Baetens.
De Decker, the 2024 World Grand Prix winner and Belgium’s leading ranked player, reached the final qualifying round only to be edged out 6-5 by Jaimy Jacobs.
Baetens produced the standout performance of the day, averaging over 103 as he secured his place in the main 48-player draw. He is joined by Jacobs, Kevin Lankhuizen and Jeroen Caron.
The four Belgian qualifiers complete the field for the 13th European Tour event of 2026, which runs Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September at the Antwerp Expo.
The Host Nation Qualifier forms part of the standard European Tour entry structure: top 16 on the PDC Order of Merit (seeded into the second round), next 16 from the ProTour Order of Merit, 10 Tour Card Holder Qualifier winners, four host-nation places, plus one each from the Nordic & Baltic and East European routes.
Several high-profile withdrawals (including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Jonny Clayton and Gary Anderson) have already reshaped the draw, with replacements moving up accordingly.
For home fans the absence of De Decker and Van den Bergh is a blow, but the four qualifiers give local representation. Baetens in particular arrives in strong form after his clinical qualifier displays.
The main event carries a £230,000 prize fund (£35,000 to the winner) and continues the European Tour’s push toward the European Championship.The action begins Friday with the first-round matches
Full draw, schedule and live coverage details are available via dartsworld.com and our social media channels.
Images: PDC
