The qualifiers for the European Darts Trophy in Gottingen, set for March 13-15, have been confirmed, with Cristo Reyes and Ricky Evans among the standout performers. Reyes secured a qualification double for the season's first two European Tour events, defeating Maik Kuivenhoven 6-0 in the final round. Ricky Evans booked his spot with a 6-4 victory over Jim Long, while Shane McGuirk narrowly edged Wesley Plaisier 6-5.
Other qualifiers included a trio of Dutchmen: Richard Veenstra, who averaged 101 in a 6-4 win over Karel Sedlacek; Kevin Doets; and Jeffrey de Zwaan, who saw off Mensur Suljovic. Sebastian Bialecki, after heartbreak in Poland, qualified by beating Arno Merk 6-1. Kai Gotthardt averaged 100 in a 6-3 defeat of Cam Crabtree, and Mario Vandenbogaerde averaged nearly 101 in a 6-3 win over Keane Barry.
Notable absentees from the qualifiers included Peter Wright, who lost to Adam Warner, and Raymond van Barneveld, defeated by his former protege Jeffrey de Zwaan while averaging only 79. Beau Greaves and Jimmy van Schie faced each other again but neither advanced, and there was no joy for Rob Cross or Dimitri van den Bergh. Michael Smith withdrew before the qualifier started due to issues with Mickey Mansell and a swollen ankle, as he described on social media.
The qualifier results featured detailed scores and averages, such as Mario Vandenbogaerde's 6-3 win over Keane Barry with a 100.88 average, and Richard Veenstra's 6-4 victory over Karel Sedlacek with a 101.96 average. The draw for the event includes matchups like Dimitri Van den Bergh vs. Adam Gawlas and Raymond van Barneveld vs. Jeffrey De Zwaan, with some players receiving byes.
