Jelle Klaasen has announced that he will not be making his debut in the Betway World Cup of Darts next month due to ‘personal commitments.’
The Cobra’s run to the quarter-finals of the HappyBet European Darts Matchplay at the weekend saw him climb above Raymond van Barneveld in the PDC Order of Merit, making him the second highest-ranked Dutchman.
It put Klaasen in a strong position to make his debut in the World Cup in two weeks, where he would partner world number one Michael van Gerwen.
The pair’s fractured relationship has been well-documented and was evident to see when the two faced off in the quarter-finals of the European Matchplay in Hamburg on Sunday night.
Before and after the match, which van Gerwen won 6-5, there was no handshake or interaction of any kind between the two.
A statement was released by The Sportsman Management Company on behalf of Klaasen on Tuesday, confirming the 2006 Lakeside champion would be unavailable to partner van Gerwen in Frankfurt.
It read: ‘Jelle Klaasen has confirmed he will unfortunately be unavailable for selection for the World Cup of Darts due to personal commitments.
‘The Dutch sensation admits he is disappointed to be missing out on the 2016 tournament but would like to wish the Netherlands’ representatives the very best of luck in the competition.’
Klaasen’s withdrawal opens the door for van Barneveld to partner van Gerwen once again.
Barney has won the tournament twice before, with Co Stompe in 2010 and then with MVG in 2014.
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