2024 World Grand Prix Darts: Mike De Decker Hails ‘Darting Boom’ in Belgium

Mike De Decker produced the performance of his career at the 2024 World Grand Prix, demolishing two-time champion James Wade in a commanding 3-0 victory to storm into his first-ever semi-final of a PDC televised ranking event. 

For a player who has steadily worked his way up the ranks, this win marks a monumental achievement in De Decker's career, signalling his potential to cement himself inside the sport’s top 32. 

In the post-match interview, De Decker reflected not only on his personal triumph but also on the remarkable growth of professional darts in Belgium, a country that has seen an undeniable surge in the sport’s popularity.

“Darts has been really big the last two, three years in Belgium, maybe four years. It is brilliant,” he told SportsBoom.com, underscoring the significance of what he referred to as a "darting boom."

De Decker’s comments highlight the wave of enthusiasm that has gripped Belgian fans, a passion that is starting to match the fervour seen in the sport's traditional strongholds like the UK and the Netherlands.

Image credit: PDC

Yet despite this rise, Belgium remains notably absent from the PDC Premier League circuit and lacks a major televised ranking event on home soil, something De Decker is keen to see change.

“A Premier League night, or a Major [ranking event],” he stated emphatically when asked what Belgian darts is missing. 

De Decker’s call for Belgium to be given a more prominent place on the global darts stage feels especially timely, given the sport’s surge in popularity in his homeland.

Belgium did host a significant tournament once before, the European Championship between 2015 and 2017 in Hasselt, but the event was moved back to Germany due to disappointing attendance figures. 

That was before the "boom," however, and De Decker is confident that the timing is now right to bring a major event back to Belgium.

“We had a Major before, and that was before the boom, so I think now would be a good time to have a major.”

His sentiment is echoed by others in the darts community, with teenage sensation Luke Littler recently declaring the Belgian crowd the best atmosphere he’d ever played in after winning a European Tour event in Wieze.

The ‘darting boom’ De Decker alludes to is more than just hype, it’s real, and the PDC may find it hard to ignore for much longer.

However, De Decker is clear that the decision isn’t in his hands. “It's not up to me to say anything about how PDC arranges tournaments. I hope they bring another major to Belgium, but that's up to the PDC. I'm just playing darts,” he remarked, diplomatically distancing himself from the politics of tournament scheduling.