The World Matchplay in Blackpool delivered a heartwarming moment for the van der Voort family, as cameras captured Kevin van der Voort’s emotional reaction while supporting his close friend Niels Zonneveld. The son of former professional Vincent van der Voort was in England to back Zonneveld, who suffered a heartbreaking 13-12 first-round defeat to Stephen Bunting. The footage showed Kevin visibly gutted, prompting a smiling Vincent to joke: “He gets that intense reaction from his mother.”
Kevin has become increasingly involved in darts in recent years, though he did not step on stage as a player at the World Matchplay. His friendship with Zonneveld meant he wanted to experience the Dutchman’s performance up close. Zonneveld, speaking on the podcast Darts Draait Door, appreciated the support: “I appreciate how much he lives it with me, better that than someone telling me what I did wrong. You don’t want to hear that. We just ride those moments together; Kevin just finds it harder to hold it in than most.”
Despite his early exit in Blackpool, Zonneveld is enjoying a strong 2026 season. He has impressed on the European Tour and climbed to 36th on the world ranking. Those results have already secured his qualification for several key majors this autumn, including the World Grand Prix, the European Championship, the Players Championship Finals, and the World Championship.
