They delivered fantastic finals on the big stage in the main hall of De Bonte Wever in Assen! Nearly 350 youth players were in action on Sunday, divided across three categories. In the end, Paige Pauling (England), Eric Petereit (Germany), and Milan Vanuytrecht (Belgium) proved their class and were crowned Dutch Open Darts champions.
Girls
Paige Pauling of England, winner of the last two editions of the Dutch Open Darts, made history this Sunday. She claimed the girls’ title once again, becoming the first player ever to win the category three times — and for the third year in a row. In the final she defeated Zehra Gemi of Turkey 3–1 in legs.
Paige took the opening leg of the final with an immediate break. She moved into a 2–0 lead via double eight and stood just one leg away from her third straight Dutch Open title. The Turkish player responded by taking a leg on double two, but that would be her only one. Paige pulled away in the fourth leg and sealed the victory on double ten.
Paige beat Mirthe Brinkman (3–0) in the last 16 and then edged past Aysegül Karagöz in a deciding leg (3–2). In the semifinals, the defending champion had no trouble with Germany’s Aileen Schrader. Zehra defeated Panagiota Kentzidou (3–1) in the last 16 and Germany’s Merve Hummel (3–0) in the quarterfinals, before overcoming England’s Ruby Grey 3–1 in the semifinals.
Open Under 14
Eric Petereit of Germany is the 2026 Dutch Open Darts champion in the Open Under-14 category. He beat compatriot Bruno Willi Sauer in a deciding-leg final, 3–2. Eric sealed the title in style: with his opponent waiting on a double, he produced a 91 checkout on the bullseye to win the trophy.
The young champion reached the final by defeating Arno Rook (3–0), Robin Gantenbrink (3–1), and Belgium’s Aaron de Ridder (3–1). Bruno Willi advanced by beating Dutch player Koen Jansen 3–2 in a deciding-leg semifinal, after coming back from 2–1 down. Earlier, he had defeated Brik Ghesquière (3–1) in the quarterfinals and Jordi Naber (3–2) in the last 16.
Open Under 18
Belgium’s Milan Vanuytrecht captured the Dutch Open Darts Under-18 crown after a thrilling final. He defeated Dutch player Kai Burger in a deciding leg, 4–3. After Kai missed several match darts in the seventh leg, Milan held his nerve and finished 76 on tops under heavy pressure to take the title.
Milan raced into a 3–0 lead in the final with solid scoring and looked set for a quick victory. His Dutch opponent fought back strongly, taking a leg and then producing a fine 68 checkout to make it 3–2. Kai forced a deciding leg on double sixteen and got the first chance at a double, but the win ultimately went to Belgium.
The new Under-18 champion reached the semifinals by beating Sepp Visscher (3–0) and fellow Belgian Lex Paeshuyse (3–0), then whitewashed Dutch player Kendji Steinbach (3–0) for a place in the final. Kai secured his final spot with a 3–0 semifinal win over Dion Hombroek, after earlier victories over Ilyano Snoeys (3–1) and Benjamin Stassen (3–1).
The NDB congratulates our youth champions — Paige Pauling, Eric Petereit, and Milan Vanuytrecht — on their outstanding Dutch Open Darts titles!
Pictures: Bas van den Berk
