You didn’t see this one coming: the final of B.V. Darts was won by singer andactor Maksim Stojanac. The underdog took wing at the crucial moment and playedthe competition in a heap. “Although in the future I will stick to a game inthe football canteen.”
Tom Vets
Yesterday at 23:00
Only with heels over the ditch did he manage to conquer a place in the finaland for the public he was by no means the favorite. Everything indicated thatit would be a battle between ex-sportsman Hans Van Alphen and musician TouristLeMC. And yet it was Mad Maks who took the trophy of the second season of BVdarts could blow into the air.
“This feels so good,” says Stojanac proudly. He played a thriller of a final,in which he doubled against Francesco Planckaert. “At one point I was prettymuch without a chance. I still don’t really know where I made the difference.”Then he saw his family sitting at a table. “They looked rather pathetic. Butmy brother said to give everything one more time. Since I had nothing left tolose, I followed his advice. When I made that mental switch, everything wentsmoothly. From that moment on I never lost a single duel. And so I won 3-2. Inthe ultimate duel Hans went for the ax 3-0. As if suddenly the darts talenthad crept into me.”
Stojanac also attributes his victory to a portion of luck. “And you have to begood at math. That is perhaps the best tactic to be able to throw out. It isimportant to find out your favorite numbers in advance, and especially topractice on them.”
Focus on small arrow
It will certainly not have been due to hours of training, because shortlyafter the recording of the first rounds in August, candidate SaartjeVandendriessche whispered to us that Stojanac had barely practiced. “That’sright. I had a busy schedule during the summer when the shooting took place.There was hardly time to throw darts at home. Very occasionally I had a momentfree.”
Although he decided later in the game to prepare himself a bit better. “Forthat final I took my time, and that was my luck. Because the level of thefinalists was a lot higher than that of the participants in the preliminaryrounds. I knew that Francesco Planckaert had stood in front of the board forat least two hours every day. So I had to cut a tooth too. Only then do younotice how intensive that sport is, to keep your focus on it all the time. Ihave had a job for several years in which I regularly deal with stress. It’snot always easy to be yourself on stage when there are 10,000 people in frontof you. But this game was something completely different: suddenly I had tofocus on a tiny dart and a board. It’s hard when so many eyes are on you. Thetension at the moment when you know the other person can throw out wasunbearable at times.”
Playing the man
Stojanac does not call himself a bad loser, but he does want to be the firstin a competition. “When I lost 3-0 against Hans in the preliminary rounds, itwas no good. I still haven’t forgotten that moment. It also has to do with thefact that I am a football player. Then you don’t want to lose. And thensometimes you have to be cunning to pull the victory to you. In games Isometimes dare to play more on the man than on the ball.”
He has not acquired a new great passion. “I like darts, but now that boardhangs in the garden. If I ever venture into a darts tournament again, it willbe more likely to be in the football canteen.”