Dutch darts legend Michael van Gerwen was punched in the face in a bar in the Netherlands on Monday night, the national holiday of King's Day. The 37-year-old was filmed talking to a man and a woman in a bar in Den Bosch when the man suddenly hit him in the face, with security pulling him away as the Dutchman pursued him.
Van Gerwen told Dutch news site Sportnieuws.nl: “That man had clearly had too much to drink and it felt to me like his anger came out of nowhere. Just as he seemed to be heading for the exit, he suddenly lashed out. That man clearly knows he was in the wrong because he apologised via Instagram.”
He added: “Of course, it's not right for me to go after him but that was an automatic reaction of shock. It’s a shame that these images come out without any context. It was a quiet and friendly evening in which nothing exciting happened. But it is what it is.”
The three-time world champion stated he would not press charges after the incident. King’s Day, one of the biggest public holidays in the Netherlands celebrating the birthday of King Willem-Alexander, can occasionally descend into chaos. Last year, riot police were called to restore order in the Pijp district of Amsterdam after a crowd attacked officers and multiple people were injured.
Van Gerwen was back in action shortly after, playing in the Premier League quarter-finals in Aberdeen on Thursday, where he lost 6-3 to Luke Humphries.
