The European Tour is back and it kicked off in spectacular fashion in Wieze. From Friday evening onwards every session was completely sold out. 16,000 fans witnessed thrilling darts at the highest level. In a captivating final, World Champion Luke Littler triumphed with an impressive 8-5 win over local hero Mike De Decker to secure the first title of the new season.
“I’m really happy to have defended my title. The fans in Belgium are incredible, and I said last year that the Premier League should come to Belgium,” said a beaming Littler after his victory.
Both players engaged in an intense battle in the final, but Littler kept his cool at the crucial moments and took control of the match. Mike De Decker also produced a strong performance and fought his way back into the contest, but in the end, he narrowly missed out.
“Of course, I’m a bit sad that the final didn’t go my way. But it’s been an amazing weekend for me, and I’m happy I could give something back to the fans,” reflected Mike De Decker.
For the other Belgian players, the weekend was somewhat mixed: On the first day of the tournament, Host Nation Qualifiers Cedric Waegemans (4-6 against Luke Woodhouse), Francois Schweyen (5-6 against Wessel Nijman), Sybren Gijbels (5-6 against Ross Smith), and Patrick De Backer (2-6 against Jermaine Wattimena) all exited the tournament. Dimitri Van den Bergh followed on Saturday evening with a defeat against “The Wall”, Martin Schindler.
However, the real highlight of the weekend was “The Real Deal’s” exciting tournament journey. With an opening win over Thomas Lovely and impressive victories over World No.1 Luke Humphries, Germany’s No.1 Martin Schindler, and former World Champion Gerwyn Price, the Belgian delighted his home crowd before eliminating Ross Smith (7-6) in a thrilling semifinal.
Smith, in turn, produced an outstanding performance in his second-round match against Rob Cross. “Smudger” posted a stunning average of 112.60, setting a new tournament record in his dominant 6-2 win – a tournament full of highlights.
The Lecot Belgian Darts Open has thrilled fans and created a buzz for the entire 2025 European Tour season. In just two weeks, the action continues in Göttingen, the first German stop of the season, and the world’s best darts players and fans can look forward to even more thrilling encounters.
