Martin Schindler’s rise through the rankings has been nothing short of remarkable, but his Swiss Trophy win was a real full-circle moment.
The Wall captured his second European Tour title of 2024 in Basel, defeating Ryan Searle, Stephen Bunting, Raymond van Barneveld, and Josh Rock on his way to lifting the trophy.
Schindler has been in stunning form on the Euro Tour this year – making him the number-one seed for the European Championship – but he came from far humbler beginnings.
Martin Schindler’s journey from steward to champion
As an 18-year-old, three years before he’d even make his PDC debut, Schindler was a burgeoning darts lover making money in the game he loved.
He worked on the Euro Tour at events in Düsseldorf, Leipzig, and Sindelfingen to edge closer to the darts players he admired.
He saw the likes of Michael Smith and Peter Wright lift Euro Tour trophies and ten years later he was on stage doing exactly the same thing.
After his Swiss Trophy victory in September 2024, The Wall told PDC TV: “Ten years ago I was working as a steward on these events; I’ve worked very hard to get to where I am today and I’m proud of myself.”
Schindler is currently ranked World No. 23 and has reached the quarterfinal stages of two major tournaments, the World Grand Prix and the UK Open.
Schindler’s European dominance
The Wall deserved every inch of his number-one seeding at the European Championship this year, with the German almost unplayable on the Euro Tour.
As well as the Swiss Trophy, Schindler picked up the International Darts Open by beating Gerwyn Price in the final.
He also became the first-ever German to hit a 9-darter on stage during the Hungarian Darts Trophy in September.
His two Euro Tour titles in 2024 make him just the ninth person to win more than one European trophy in a calendar year.