Darts star Michael van Gerwen was punched in the face by a stranger in a bar in the Netherlands on Monday. The incident occurred in a bar in the city of Den Bosch on King's Day, a public holiday in his native country.
Footage shared online shows Van Gerwen talking with a man and a woman before the man suddenly hits him in the face. Security then pulls the attacker away as Van Gerwen pursues him across the bar. The 37-year-old former world number one told Dutch sports news website Sportnieuws.nl that the attacker "clearly had too much to drink" and that his anger "came out of nowhere."
Van Gerwen said: "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." The three-time world champion has decided not to press charges, but admitted his reaction was not ideal: "Of course, it's not right for me to go after him but that was an automatic reaction of shock."
The attack came before Van Gerwen's Premier League quarter-final clash in Aberdeen on Thursday, where he lost 6-3 to Luke Humphries. Humphries' win put him back within touching distance of the Dutchman in fourth place.
