This article was originally published on Darts Planet TV’s writing platform. Click here to view the piece on their website.
Only three years since playing his first ever competitive match, Denmark’s Andreas Toft Jorgensen has already reigned victorious on the PDC Nordic and Baltic circuit and represented his country at the World Cup of Darts.
Now, speaking ahead of his Nordic Darts Masters bow this weekend on home soil, Jorgensen wants to follow in the footsteps of his legendary compatriot Per Laursen – a former Welsh Open champion, eight-time World Darts Championship qualifier and undoubtedly the greatest Dane to throw a dart.
“I hope I can become successful and I hope to go further than any other Danish player. I love this game, I will do my very best every time,” expressed Jorgensen. “I know there will be tough competition for the top spot in Denmark though. I’m not the only player who would love to be the next Per Laursen.”
Six-time PDC Nordic and Baltic event winner Laursen was unable to secure his place at this weekend’s World Series of Darts staging in Denmark. However, Jorgensen competes alongside countrymen Niels Heinsoe and Ivan Springborg-Poulsen, and heads to Copenhagen as the current leading Danish player.
“I’m looking forward to it a lot,” Jorgensen added. “Eight of the best players in the world are coming to my home country to play darts and I’m invited. That’s something special!
“I want to give it my best shot, and of course I’m going up on that stage to try and win my game. But Gary Anderson is a hard challenge and he must be the favourite for that match by far.
“I will do what I can to win it. I have nothing to lose and I must believe that I can shock the world by beating a two-time world champion. If I don’t believe there is a chance, why go? It will be an experience, for sure it will.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to get new players in Denmark. It’s also a great opportunity to get the players we already have to do even more to achieve that one stage game everyone dreams about.
“We [Andreas, Niels and Ivan] are three Danish guys up on that stage and that could show everyone that anyone who is serious about it can achieve it.”
Gary Anderson stands between Jorgensen and a quarter-final against either Dimitri Van den Bergh or Sweden’s Johan Engstrom. It won’t be the first time he has shared the stage with a multiple-time world champion nonetheless, having faced Michael van Gerwen’s Netherlands on his recent World Cup of Darts debut.
“The World Cup was the most insane thing I’ve ever done. There were so many people, so many good players,” Jorgensen added, despite him and the previously mentioned Heinsoe enduring defeat to the Dutch duo.
“Even though we had a very difficult draw, I was so excited to go down to Jena and play, not only for a televised event, but to represent my country. I loved it, and I definitely want to try that again.”
Jorgensen’s chewing of gum whilst throwing in Germany proved a slight annoyance for some viewers. “The gum was pure nerves,” he laughed. “I was so nervous when we got called upon to bull up.
“I didn’t give it any kind of thought, I just had it. Sometimes when I practise, I chew gum instead of smoking and I tend to smoke a lot when I get nervous. So the gum came down to me being really, really nervous.”
It was a wonderful weekend in Iceland that meant Jorgensen would grace the stage in both Jena and Copenhagen. The 27-year-old landed his maiden PDC Nordic and Baltic accolade at Bullseye Reykjavik, and now sits fourth in their ranking system as the highest-ranked Danish thrower.
“I was over the moon. At first I couldn’t believe that I’d actually won something at the PDC,” he said in disbelief. Jorgensen had overcome three esteemed players in Marko Kantele, Madars Razma and Darius Labanauskas to reign triumphant.
His maiden title-winning success arrived less than half-a-decade after he initially picked up a set of arrows. “I got invited by a friend to come see them play a pub game,” Jorgensen explained. “I went to watch them a few times, and then they invited me on the team – which I said obviously said ‘yes’ to.
“In the beginning, it was mostly for the fun, the social and the beer. But then I got hooked on the game, enjoyed it a lot, so I looked for more darts, more competitions and suddenly I found myself playing in a dart club.
“I’ve been playing for four, maybe five, years. I can’t tell you exactly. I think I had my first official game in 2018. I wanted more, I wanted to play in a higher league, so I started practising and have done so since then.”
Jorgensen has competed on the PDC Challenge Tour, at PDC European Qualifying School and on the aforementioned Nordic and Baltic circuit, although his intentions are to eventually become a permanent professional and ply his trade amongst the world’s elite.
“Well the dream is to live from playing darts full-time. To be completely honest, that’s the biggest dream – to earn from what you love. That would be so, so great,” revealed Jorgensen – who resides from the small town of Haderslev.
“But it’s a hard and long journey and it is not possible to do without support. I’m very lucky, my family accepts that darts is my life and my girlfriend does the same.
“I never have to apologise for travelling or for not showing up at a birthday party. They know this is what I love doing and they know that even though I might not be there on the day we are invited, I’ll drop by another day.
“I’m a simple man so the money isn’t the fuel, the game is. And the plan for the last part of this year is just to play at all the events I can find and afford.
“It’s expensive to travel and I am without a job at the moment. I had to drop out of adult school to participate in the World Cup and the Nordic Masters. I did it with no regrets though, that’s how important the darts is for me.”
