Five-time world champion Raymond Van Barneveld has reversed his decision to retire following “a rollercoaster of emotions.”
After defeat to fellow Dutchman Michael Van Gerwen on Thursday night in the Premier League, he said he did not want further “pain” and would finish immediately.
However, in a statement on Friday released through the Professional Darts Corporation, the 51-year-old said: “For months my life has been a rollercoaster of emotions.
PLAYING ON | Raymond van Barneveld will continue playing throughout the remainder of 2019 after reconsidering his decision to bring forward his planned retirement. ▶️Full story: https://t.co/DYlRG1BOnz pic.twitter.com/7ddwpENGyG — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) March 29, 2019
“I felt ashamed on stage in front of my family, my friends and the Barney Army. I felt I let everyone down and that pain was very hard to deal with.
“In the heat of the moment I only wanted to never feel that again, but I realise that I should not speak out like that when I feel such raw emotion.
“I want to end my career at Alexandra Palace during one final World Championship.”
Raymond had had a very tough 2 nights and in all his emotions he said he was gonne retire right away. I just spoke with him and we agreed it is better to take a couple of days to clear the mind and think about the future. I hope everyone understand. Kind Regards Jaco van Bodegom pic.twitter.com/jLYgUdAPD3 — Raymond v Barneveld (@Raybar180) March 28, 2019
Van Barneveld has dropped down to 30th place on the PDC Order of Merit, but is set to participate in the forthcoming Players Championship events as well as the German Darts Open in April.
“I hope people understand the difficult times my family and I have been going through and I need to get my head together,” he added.
“I will take a couple of days off for this and then try to compete as well as I can in the floor tournaments out of the spotlight in the coming weeks.”
In the run-up to the 2019 World Championship, Van Barneveld had confirmed this year would be his last as a professional.
He had claimed four world titles while competing in the British Darts Organisation, before switching codes and going on to lift the 2007 PDC crown when he defeated Phil Taylor 7-6 in a sudden-death leg.
Despite all of his success at the oche, which had proved difficult to come by consistently in recent seasons, the Dutchman also endured some testing spells away from the sport, which included the break-up of his marriage to wife Silvia.
“In my private life there have been so many troubles, and as a dart player you try not to but you take all that with you on stage,” Van Barneveld said.
“I was humbled that I was given the chance to play in the Premier League this year and really wanted to show everybody the true Barney, but it was only glimpses that I could give.”
The Dutchman had already been eliminated from the competition before he took to the stage on Thursday night.
Following the shock announcement, his agent Jaco van Bodegom later confirmed in a post on Twitter the 51-year-old would “take a couple of days to clear the mind and think about the future”.
Van Barneveld added: “My personal problems got the better of me and I was always catching up to my opponents on stage. Yesterday all those emotions came together and I couldn’t handle that at that moment.”
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