Angry Michael van Gerwen has spoken of his nightmare at being ruled out of the William Hill World Championships.
The devastated Dutchman reckons he’s blameless after testing positive for Covid and questioned tournament chiefs after his withdrawal.
Van Gerwen ’s shock removal from the game’s showpiece event was confirmed just hours before his scheduled third-round clash with Chris Dobey.
The 32-year-old’s pal Vincent van der Voort suffered a similar fate 24 hours earlier and the pair are now in isolation in their London hotel.
Van Gerwen registered a positive PCR test and said: “The biggest nightmare you can imagine. I never saw this coming.
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“Of course, our health is the most important, but you are here to win the tournament.
“We can sit here together now, but we had imagined this very differently. Again, this is really the worst nightmare.”
Van Gerwen said he’s taken every precaution and continued: “Vincent and I didn’t even go to the breakfast room because we thought it was too busy there.”
Van Gerwen is reported to have had a Christmas Eve dinner with van der Voort and Dirk van Duijvenbode, but he said: “We were all tested negative. I test myself here every day. I don’t know where I got it. Yet we are the losers."
Having missed Christmas at home with his young family to stay safe and be involved at the Worlds, van Gerwen had to break the crushing news to them.
He said: “Yeah, they’re all sad, too. They know what I’ve done for it. That it has to end like this is unbelievable.”
Van Gerwen also appeared to question some of the organisation around the event.
PDC chiefs have been strict and have issued clear guidelines to spectators entering the Ally Pally where it’s stated that full vaccination status or proof of a negative NHS Lateral Flow test taken on the day of arrival to the venue must be displayed.
Speaking to homeland media outlet AD.nl in the Netherlands, van Gerwen said: “They actually have to check everyone at the door every day, they didn’t do that.
“According to the British government, this is not necessary. But to protect your own organisation and the World Championships, that would have been useful.
“The PDC will always say that they have followed the rules of the government, but they could have been looked at more closely.
“It is as leaky as a basket, now I am paying a high price. I didn’t do anything at all, that makes it extra sour. It’s just horrible.”
PDC issued a statement and said: “We hope both Vincent and Michael remain in good health and share their disappointment that they were unable to continue in the tournament.
“We won’t comment on individual players circumstances and we continue to follow approved protocols at the William Hill World Darts Championship, which includes testing for all players involved in the event.”
