Darts star apologises after mid-match telling off | Other | Sport

After losing 3-1 to Noppert, in his post-match press conference, Van der Velde said: “It was meant as a joke, but I did get a b******ing. I sprayed that stuff, but that wasn’t such a smart idea from me.

“I was told right after the first set by the PDC. I thought, ‘Great to hear that straight away’ because I lost the first set and then you’ve still got to regroup. It does take you out of the match a bit.

“But there were people allergic to it. Well, it certainly wasn’t my intention and I told the PDC that straight away: sorry about that.”

Nevertheless, it did not take the shine off what was an unforgettable day for the 2024 PDC World Youth Championship finalist. He was visibly emotional and taken aback when he made his walk-on for the match. 

“This is what I dreamed of as a kid. I watched guys like Raymond van Barneveld and Phil Taylor and all those other legends who stood here.

“And now I’m here. So awesome. I wanted this so badly. After 1-1 I thought, ‘Right then, put the foot down.’ But that’s when Danny found another gear.

“Besides that Audi he has with six gears, he found a seventh one here. That’s totally fine, I’ll only learn from this. Danny made four major semi-finals this year. You don’t do that by accident.”

Noppert faces Scottish star Alan Soutar in the second round at Alexandra Palace. The World No. 6, who won the 2022 UK Open, takes on Soutar on December 23.