Darts star who upset Nathan Aspinall could still have been banned for World Matchplay

Daily Mirror

2 days ago

Wessel Nijman caused a major upset by beating Nathan Aspinall in the first round of the World Matchplay, but the Dutchman was once at risk of missing the tournament altogether
Darts sensation Wessel Nijman has made a triumphant debut at the World Matchplay and secured a spot in the second round after being sidelined for more than two years. The Dutch ace was initially handed a five-year suspension back in October 2020 after confessing to violations of betting and anti-corruption regulations.
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His ban was cut in half following his involvement in anti-corruption education and activities. Nijman, 25, celebrated a significant win over Nathan Aspinall in the first round of the World Matchplay on Saturday, surging to a 10-6 win against the world No. 7.
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He is now set to take on James Wade at the Winter Gardens come Tuesday. But Nijman's career once hit a serious snag after he was implicated in a match-fixing and betting scandal.
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The controversy stemmed from his 4-0 defeat to David Evans during the Modus Icons of Darts series in May 2020. According to The Sun, Nijman conceded to fixing the match, agreeing to lose every leg for a sum of £8,300 after being approached by an intermediary.
The Darts Regulation Authority slapped him with a five-year ban, retroactive to August 2020, but Nijman served only half that period due to his proactive engagement with player education and anti-corruption initiatives. Upon the announcement of the ban, he reflected on his wrongdoing.
"While it is clear that I was put under external pressure, ultimately I agreed to do this and take full responsibility for my actions," he said at the time. "I hope any other player who finds themselves in a similar position will learn from my mistakes and follow the correct procedure to help protect their own integrity and the integrity of darts as a sport. Unfortunately, I did not do that and made a stupid mistake that I am rightly being punished for."
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Nijman, who worked as an electrician during his suspension, was permitted to return to competition in February 2023. He excelled on the PDC Development Tour and booked his place at the PDC World Championship, as well as obtaining a PDC Tour card.
In October 2024, Nijman claimed his maiden senior PDC crown by beating Stephen Bunting 8-5 in the final at Players Championship 24. After the landmark win, the world No. 42 said: "I've felt like it was coming. I thought, 'Be patient and it will come.'
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"It's probably the best months of my darting career. When I was playing the Development Tour last year I wasn't expecting to get a tour card. I knew I could win it when I was in the final. My goal was to get in the top 64 after two years; I'll probably get into it after one year so I'm very happy with that."
Nevertheless, if the World Matchplay newcomer continues his progress in the competition, he could be in prime position to fly up the rankings, reports the Daily Express. There was an even more shocking result elsewhere as former world champion Luke Humphries was knocked out in the opening round.
Nijman expressed to Sky Sports that his victory over Aspinall might just be the pinnacle of his career so far: "I think so. I won one game at Ally Pally, but this is probably more special than playing at Ally Pally, especially with the way I played.
"I'm very happy with the way I played and very happy with the win. I didn't feel too nervy. I played like myself. I'm just happy to be here. Now I've got to see it match by match."