Shocking footage has shown darts star Michael van Gerwen being punched in the face during a party in the Netherlands.
Three-time world champion Van Gerwen had been in his home country to celebrate the national holiday King’s Day, which marks the birth of King Willem-Alexander.
Footage shared on the YouTube channel RoddelPraat showed Van Gerwen appearing in a dispute.
The 37-year-old was seen placing his hand on the shoulder of a man, who seemed to be involved in an animated discussion with a woman.
Van Gerwen then motioned with his hand for the man to move away, only to be left stunned after the man responded by throwing a punch in his direction.
Security staff were seen pulling the unknown man away from the scene, with a furious Van Gerwen then seen running after his assailant.
Shocking footage showed Michael van Gerwen being punched while on a night out in the Netherlands
Van Gerwen is set to return to competition at Premier League Darts in Aberdeen on Thursday
Van Gerwen spoke to Shownieuws following the incident, admitting his surprise at the man’s anger and revealed he had received an apology via Instagram.
‘That man had clearly had too much to drink and it felt to me like his anger came out of nowhere,’ Van Gerwen said.
‘Just as he seemed to be heading for the exit, he suddenly lashed out. Of course, it’s not right that I went after him. But that was an automatic reaction.
‘That man clearly knows he was in the wrong because he apologised via Instagram.’
Van Gerwen’s agency Modus Darts had earlier shared a statement which stressed it had been a ‘private matter’.
‘We are aware of footage circulating of an incident involving Michael van Gerwen,’ the social media statement read.
‘Michael did not provoke the situation and was not at fault. As this is a private matter, we will not be commenting further at this time.’
It is the second time in the past year that Van Gerwen has been involved in a scuffle while out, having been involved in an altercation inside a kebab shop in Den Bosch last September.
‘After an enjoyable night out, we wanted to grab something to eat, and unfortunately I ended up in a situation you’d rather avoid,’ Van Gerwen told Darts News after the incident.
‘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.’
Van Gerwen returned to competition on Thursday in the latest leg of the Premier League Darts in Aberdeen.
He was beaten by Luke Humphries in his opening match at P&J Live.
Van Gerwen remains currently fourth in the standings, with the top four advancing to the play-offs at the end of the season.
