Kevin Doets has revealed he is considering a nation switch to Sweden in order to boost his hopes of debuting in the World Cup of Darts. The Dutchman, currently ranked world number 32 after a stunning run of form, admitted he would much rather play for the Netherlands but acknowledged the difficulty of breaking into a Dutch side stacked with top talent.
Doets recently claimed his maiden PDC ranking title at Players Championship 13, defeating Luke Woodhouse in the final, and followed that up with a first Euro Tour final at the Austrian Darts Open, where he was denied by Josh Rock. Despite his rise, he remains behind a host of countrymen in the PDC Order of Merit, including Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, Danny Noppert, Wessel Nijman, Jermaine Wattimena, and Dirk van Duijvenbode — all of whom sit above him.
Speaking to the Weekly Dartscast, Doets said: “I’ve thought about it. If I want to switch, I still have to wait for three and a half years. But I would like to play for the Netherlands rather than for Sweden. It’s just so hard lately to play for the Netherlands because two out of the top four are Dutch. So, it’s going to be very tough to get into the World Cup for the Netherlands. And of course, right now it’s a lot easier to play for Sweden.”
Doets would become Sweden’s number one, comfortably ahead of current top Swede Jeffrey de Graaf, ranked world number 55. The financial incentive is also a factor. “We have to look at the financial aspect as well. But I would much rather play for the Netherlands than for Sweden. But if the opportunity comes that I can play for Sweden, I might take it, but I don’t know yet,” he added.
Reflecting on his journey, Doets spoke of his pride in overcoming dartitis early in his career. “I think that looking back at that, I’m very proud of where I am now, and especially because of my dartitis and stuff. The dartitis part, that has always been a struggle because even though I haven’t had it for years now, it’s something that still sometimes shows up in the mind. It can get tough when you start thinking about that. But yeah, I’m just very proud of where I am now, after what I’ve been through in the earlier stages.”
