Germany’s number one Gabriel Clemens is dreaming of landing his first PDC title on home soil at this week’s My Diesel Claim World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt.
Clemens will partner his compatriot Martin Schindler at the Eissporthalle from June 15-18, and the pair will be desperate to deliver for host nation Germany in the expanded 40-team tournament.
This year’s £450,000 event will feature a round-robin phase ahead of the last 16 knockout stages, with matches played in a Pairs format throughout the tournament for the first time in World Cup history.
The German duo reached the quarter-finals of last year’s showpiece – their first as a partnership – and Clemens is bullish about their title chances this weekend.
“I think we have a good team,” declared Clemens, also a World Cup semi-finalist with Max Hopp in 2020.
“Martin and I are playing good darts over the last couple of months, and I think we work well in a team.
“We are used to the Doubles format. Years ago we played Doubles in our league in Germany, and I think the other countries will not be so used to playing Pairs.
“It’s good when you have a good friendship with your partner and you can push your team-mate. Maybe we will have our first title together!”
Clemens and Schindler have both been threatening to claim maiden ranking titles over the last 18 months, with Hopp still the only German player to win a senior PDC title.
Nevertheless, the sport’s popularity continues to soar, with over 130 German players featuring on the PDC Winmau Development Tour in Hildesheim last weekend.
As well as the World Cup, Germany will host the European Championship in October, having also held a Premier League night in Berlin and eight European Tour events across the course of the year.
However, Clemens believes there is room for further growth, and he insists televised success for a German player could be the key to unlocking that potential.
“I think darts can still get bigger in Germany. We’re not at the end yet,” added the 39-year-old.
“When we have good results, not only at the World Cup but at major tournaments like the World Championship and the World Matchplay, the sport will continue to grow.
“England has a lot of players on the tour, Netherlands is a big darts nation, Belgium too, but I think we must take that next step.”
Clemens broke new ground for German darts with a magnificent run to the World Championship semi-finals in January, which included a stunning quarter-final success against Gerwyn Price.
Clemens’ semi-final showdown against eventual champion Michael Smith was watched by a record-breaking peak of 3.78 million people on Sport1, an all-time record for darts on the free-to-air channel.
This also marked the third-best day for Sport1 in the channel’s 30-year history, and Clemens revealed that the media coverage in the aftermath of his Alexandra Palace exploits took him by surprise.
“It was amazing. After the World Championship I had so many messages and phone calls,” continued Germany’s number one.
“The best thing for me was going on Sport Studio on German TV. Normally only footballers appear on it, I think I’m the first German dart player to be on the show.
“The first half of the year was so busy with a lot of media commitments and TV shows, but now it’s more normal.
“I am enjoying my darts. I think I’m playing better than I was last year. My averages are higher. I haven’t had the best results, but I think I am playing better.”
Listen to the full exclusive interview with Gabriel in the latest edition of The Darts Show Podcast - available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
The My Diesel Claim World Cup of Darts will be broadcast on Sky Sports for viewers in the UK & Ireland, through the PDC's international broadcast partners, including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers.