German darts player Jan Schmidt advanced to the final of the PDC World Youth Championship in Wigan on Monday, securing a spot at the Grand Slam of Darts and a minimum prize of £5,000, according to reports published by Welt.de. The 22-year-old achieved the breakthrough despite nearly missing the tournament entirely due to high flight costs and a canceled ride.
Travel Breakdown Sparked Last-Minute Instagram Search
Schmidt nearly failed to reach the venue in Wigan because flights to nearby Manchester were too expensive and a scheduled driver backed out at the last moment. The Herford-born player turned to Instagram to find a replacement driver, noting publicly that missing the youth championship would not be the end of the world. Daniel Zadach, a dart shop owner from the Westerwald region, ultimately stepped in to drive him to the tournament.
Tough Road Through the Knockout Stages in Wigan
Entering the tournament as a longshot, Schmidt defeated the Netherlands’ Owen Roelofs 6-2 in his early matches. He then edged past Denmark’s Daniel Kortbek 6-5 despite facing match darts against him. In the round of 16, Schmidt eliminated Poland’s Sebastian Bialecki, a two-time World Championship participant and recent Development Tour winner, with a 6-2 scoreline. After defeating Henry Coates 6-5 in the quarterfinals, Schmidt recorded a 6-3 victory over World Championship last-16ist Charlie Manby with an average of nearly 95 points to reach the semifinals. Schmidt was but this time also unstoppable and secured his place in the final with a 6:3 and nearly 95 points on average.
Semifinal Defeat for Luke Littler and Schmidt Final Setup
While Schmidt advanced past Charlie Manby, tournament favorite and top-ranked youth player Luke Littler crashed out in the semifinals. Littler lost 5-6 to fellow Englishman Cam Crabtree. Schmidt now faces Crabtree in the final, which is scheduled for November 29 at the Players Championship Finals in Minehead, England. Against Crabtree, Tour Card holder and World Championship participant last year, Schmidt is now once again the underdog.
Schmidt Secures Grand Slam of Darts Debut
By reaching the youth final, Schmidt guaranteed himself an appearance at the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton in mid-November, and thus celebrates his debut at a major tournament in mid-November in Wolverhampton and pockets at least 5,000 pounds. Prior to this run, Schmidt played in the Bundesliga for Bulldogs Wolfenbüttel and competed primarily on the PDC Development Tour and Next Gen circuits, earning roughly €7,000 combined across both series this year. Via the Next Gen, where Schmidt won a tournament this year, he also qualified for the Super League, where another World Championship ticket is played out among 24 predominantly German players. A victory in the youth championship final would also secure a direct spot in the upcoming senior PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in December, where prize money starts at £15,000 for participants.
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