South African Cameron Carolissen was Africa’s sole representative at the 2025 PDC World Championship.
Despite being eliminated in the first round of this international darts tournament, he remains hopeful that his participation will encourage the growth of darts across the continent.
Ranked 167 places below his Dutch opponent, Wessel Nijman, Carolissen suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat. Nevertheless, the South African athlete is optimistic about the future of the sport. Speaking to BBC Africa, he said:
“For the boys back home, I hope that this is an eye-opener to them. I hope they see the bigger picture, and then they can see what the ultimate goal is for darts in Africa.
“I’m happy that I can be here and represent not just South Africa, but Africa as a whole. I can go home smiling.”
Carolissen also emphasized the role of the African Darts Group (ADG) in fostering talent:
“What the ADG is trying to achieve is creating that platform for players to get used to these opportunities – playing at Ally Pally, the World Cup, or any other tournaments.
“We are constantly playing in front of the cameras, with the media and the interviews. It just creates a little bit in terms of what to expect. To play at Alexandra Palace, it’s a much bigger scale. It’s about learning and adapting.”
Nicknamed “The Javelin,” Carolissen began playing darts at the age of 12. He drew significant inspiration from his compatriot Devon Petersen, who has competed in the World Cup nine times and reached the last 16 on three occasions.
Although he lost the match, Carolissen managed to achieve a higher darts average than his opponent. This marked his first full experience at the World Championship.
“To be back at the Palace after four years and to experience the crowd, to be in such an environment, is absolutely amazing,” Carolissen said.
“To play here is every darts player’s dream.
“Although I wanted to win so badly against Wessel, I think my performance was enough for the world to know that Cameron Carolissen is here.
“I’m happy with the performance. I think I can go back home to my family at Christmas and just enjoy the sunshine in Cape Town.”