Vincent van der Voort has taken aim at what he calls the growing "hug culture" in professional darts, arguing that players are too friendly with each other while matches are still in the balance. Speaking on the latest episode of the Darts Draait Door podcast, the former player called for more rivalry on stage, insisting that sportsmanship should be saved for after the final dart is thrown.
A hug afterwards doesn't have to be a problem at all, according to Van der Voort. During a match, though, it's different. "If it happens after the match and you're sporting with each other, then it's not that big a deal," he explained. "Only in darts it's almost turning into a group of friends." He cited the recent World Grand Prix final between Gerwyn Price and Luke Humphries as a prime example. Price started superbly but saw Humphries battle back to 3-1 with a crucial 105 finish. "Humphries takes out 105 and it becomes 3-1. That match is far from over and they're hugging each other. As if everything that's happening is great fun. Yes, it's fun, but no: not at that moment."
Price, he says, had every reason to be frustrated right then. "Price had him where he wanted and could have made it 4-0 to pull away. Now he gets dragged back into the match and then he went 4-3 behind. That's not fun when that happens." Van der Voort then drew a comparison with football. "I don't like it either if Feyenoord score and an Ajax player goes to hug him. You never see that: 'What a great goal you scored.' I don't want to see that. I just want to see them go toe-to-toe and do everything to win."
That doesn't mean players shouldn't show any goodwill, he stressed. A fist bump after a special finish is more than enough, with full focus returning to the match afterwards. "You can just give a fist bump: nice finish. And then go completely back into yourself, because you have to carry on." He understands that other darts fans enjoy camaraderie on stage, but simply views elite sport differently. "Maybe others say: 'I think it's fantastic, great that he does that, sporting.' That's fine by me. But for me: I enjoy sport most when there's a bit of needle between them. As long as it stays within the lines."
The infamous clash between Price and Gary Anderson at the Grand Slam of Darts in 2018 comes up as an example. Emotions ran high that night, yet it's still remembered years later. That, he says, is exactly the appeal. "Everyone condemned it. And they still use that clip. Everyone loves it and everyone is still talking about that final. Those are the matches you remember."
Van der Voort also has plenty of examples from his own career. One old match against Adrian Lewis is mentioned. In the closing stages he left 92 after a 140, only for Lewis to suddenly take out 164. There was little appetite for warm congratulations at that moment. "I still had to give a quick interview and I said: it's pretty neat, isn't it. Treble 20, treble 18, dead centre bull. But I wasn't looking at the board. I only heard it." That, he says, is exactly the emotion that belongs in elite sport. If you've just lost a deciding leg, you don't need to be as enthusiastic as the one who won. "Maybe I'm just different from others. I'm just completely gutted that I've lost. It's 5-5 and he takes out 164."
He can barely understand situations where players laugh after their opponent produces a huge finish. "That's not funny at all. It's really brutal when that happens at that moment." So sportsmanship is absolutely fine, but preferably when the last dart has been thrown. A handshake, maybe a brief hug, and then that's it. During the match he'd rather see two players who show that only one thing matters: winning. "If you're just as happy as the winner, I don't like that at all."
