Darts star resorts to wearing earplugs on stage in desperate bid to silence ‘amazing’ home crowd

Kim Huybrechts stunned fans by wearing EARPLUGS despite competing on home soil at the Belgian Darts Open.

The World No. 61 produced a superb display, averaging 101.76 to defeat Niko Springer 6-3 in round one at Wieze.

Huybrechts explained he used noise-cancelling earplugs to stay composed on the oche in a bid to perform at his very best under pressure.

Other players have taken similar measures, with Gerwyn Price famously wearing ear defenders at the 2023 World Championship, while Danny Noppert relied on earplugs to block out distractions during the Saudi Arabia Masters.

Huybrechts said: “This is fantastic: winning on home soil and playing well too.

“It was tense, but I actually felt I had everything under control. As a dart player, you have to stay in your own bubble at all times.

“This just works for me. The atmosphere is amazing, but if you get caught up in it, you lose focus completely. Your heart rate goes up, and that’s exactly what you want to avoid in moments like this.”

Huybrechts also praised the fans inside the Oktoberhallen arena as he continues his strong run of form on the European Tour.

The Belgian star has made a positive start to the year, reaching the last 16 at Players Championship Four and Six, showing clear signs of consistency in his performances.

He added: “We have the most respectful crowd in the world. When it’s the other way around, I’m sometimes up against thousands of fans rooting against me.

“Here, you feel support without it becoming unsporting or overwhelming. That makes it really special to play in front of your home fans.”

The Belgian thrower will now face Josh Rock on Saturday evening for a place in the third round of the European Tour event.

Elsewhere in the Belgian Darts Open last night, former world champions Michael Smith and Raymond van Barneveld both suffered shock early exits.

Smith was beaten 6-3 by Ireland’s Mickey Mansell in what proved to be a disappointing and below-par display.

Dutch legend Van Barneveld endured an even tougher night, going down 6-1 to Croatia’s Boris Krcmar in his first European Tour appearance of 2026.

There was better news for the English contingent, with Dave Chisnall, Luke Woodhouse, Ricky Evans and Ryan Joyce all progressing after producing strong and confident opening-round performances.

Luke Littler returns to action today after skipping last weekend’s event and will take on Krcmar as he looks to build on his recent Premier League Darts triumph.

Meanwhile, there’s a heavyweight clash in store tonight as Luke Humphries faces Michael van Gerwen in one of the standout ties of the round, with both stars aiming to stamp their authority on the tournament.