Shocking footage has emerged showing darts star Michael van Gerwen being punched in the face during a party in the Netherlands. The three-time world champion was in his home country to celebrate the national holiday King's Day, which marks the birth of King Willem-Alexander.
Incident Details
Footage shared on the YouTube channel RoddelPraat captured Van Gerwen appearing to be involved in a dispute. The 37-year-old was seen placing his hand on the shoulder of a man engaged in an animated discussion with a woman. Van Gerwen then motioned for the man to move away, only to be stunned when the man responded by throwing a punch at him. Security staff quickly intervened, pulling the unknown man away from the scene, while a furious Van Gerwen was seen running after his assailant.
Van Gerwen's Response
Van Gerwen has yet to comment on the incident, which reportedly took place on Sunday night. This marks the second time in the past year that the darts champion has been involved in a scuffle while out. Last September, he was involved in an altercation inside a kebab shop in Den Bosch. At the time, Van Gerwen told Darts News: 'After an enjoyable night out, we wanted to grab something to eat, and unfortunately I ended up in a situation you'd rather avoid. The man came at me from the kitchen, not the other way round, following a verbal exchange. People are making it sound more dramatic than it actually was, which is a shame. As you can see, people stepped in straight away and the situation was resolved. I even spoke with the man's nephew afterwards, and we cleared the air before we left.'
Upcoming Competition
Van Gerwen is set to return to competition later today in the latest leg of the Premier League Darts in Aberdeen. He is due to face Luke Humphries in his opening match at P&J Live. Van Gerwen currently sits fourth in the standings, with the top four advancing to the play-offs at the end of the season.
