“I thought I was playing badly. But here…” – Van Gerwen has a cheeky dig at Belgian darters in Antwerp

Three-time world champion makes tongue-in-cheek observation about struggling Belgian stars ahead of Premier League Night 2

Michael van Gerwen couldn’t resist a cheeky dig at Belgian darts ahead of the Premier League’s historic first visit to Antwerp, suggesting his own struggles pale in comparison to the current state of the country’s top players.

The three-time world champion made the tongue-in-cheek observation in the build-up to Thursday’s Night 2 at the AFAS Dome, where he would ultimately reach the final before falling to Gerwyn Price.

“But Here…”

“I thought things were going badly for me. But here…” Van Gerwen told HLN.be in a cheeky shot at Belgian darts.

The comment came as Van Gerwen reflected on the dramatic decline of Belgium’s once-thriving darts scene, which has seen several of its top stars struggle significantly in recent months.

The Belgian Decline

Van Gerwen didn’t hold back in his assessment of what’s gone wrong for Belgium’s darts elite.

“It’s not going so well either at the moment. A pity to see. [Mike] De Decker isn’t in his best form. Dimitri [Van den Bergh] not at all. And Kim [Huybrechts] is struggling too,” Van Gerwen explained.

When asked if he had an explanation for the decline, Van Gerwen offered: “You’ve got that relentless schedule. Everyone has their issues. And there’s so much pressure…”

The assessment was particularly pointed given Belgium’s recent pedigree in the sport. Dimitri Van den Bergh won the 2020 World Matchplay and has been a consistent presence at major tournaments, while Mike De Decker claimed the World Grand Prix title in 2024. Kim Huybrechts has been a fixture on the PDC circuit for over a decade.

Van Veen More Optimistic

Gian van Veen, the second Dutchman in this Premier League, offered a more positive take, believing a Belgian will be back at the top soon.

The 23-year-old’s optimism stands in contrast to Van Gerwen’s blunt assessment, though the evidence on the ground suggests the Belgian darts scene is indeed facing challenges.

Van Gerwen’s Antwerp Performance

Despite his pre-event banter, Van Gerwen produced an excellent performance in Antwerp, continuing his strong start to the 2026 Premier League campaign.

The Dutchman cruised past a struggling Josh Rock 6-2 in the quarter-finals, with Rock hampered by grip issues that saw his darts repeatedly slip from his fingers at crucial moments.

In the semi-finals, Van Gerwen faced Luke Littler and delivered one of his finest performances in recent memory. The Dutchman averaged just over 100 with an off-colour Littler down at 95 and – strangely for him – only managing a single maximum, while Van Gerwen hit four.

It was the finishing under pressure that made the difference as the Dutchman hit six of 13 attempts at a double, including finishing off a 10-darter, in a performance that was much more like the Van Gerwen of old.

Final Heartbreak

Van Gerwen’s remarkable run came to an end in the final against Gerwyn Price, who claimed a 6-3 victory to secure his first Premier League nightly title of the season.

Despite incredible back-to-back finishes of 167 and 160 in the final, Van Gerwen was always second best, but a win and a final after two nights is a great start considering he failed to win a single night in last season’s competition.

The Dutchman’s resurgence has been one of the early storylines of the 2026 Premier League. After winning Night 1 in Newcastle with a 6-4 final victory over Gian van Veen, Van Gerwen now leads the Premier League table with eight points—three clear of second-placed Price.

Personal Troubles Behind Him?

Van Gerwen’s strong form comes after what he described as his “worst year ever” in 2025, which saw him endure a painful divorce and struggle with the fallout from his personal life.

The Dutchman has been open about how his private struggles affected his game, admitting he came “very close” to withdrawing from the World Masters in Milton Keynes due to continued personal issues.

However, his performances in the opening two weeks of the Premier League suggest he may finally be turning a corner. The vintage 10-darter against Littler and those monster checkouts in the final against Price were reminiscent of the Van Gerwen who dominated world darts for the better part of a decade.

Belgian Perspective

While Van Gerwen’s comments may have been delivered with a smile, they touch on a genuine issue facing Belgian darts. The country that produced multiple world-class players and seemed poised to become a darts powerhouse has seen its stars struggle to maintain consistency at the highest level.

Dimitri Van den Bergh, once ranked as high as world number seven, has fallen to 13th in the rankings. Mike De Decker sits at 16th despite his World Grand Prix triumph, while Kim Huybrechts has dropped to 41st.

None of Belgium’s top players qualified for the 2026 Premier League, marking the first time since 2022 that the country has had no representation in the elite invitational tournament.

The Verdict

Van Gerwen’s cheeky dig at Belgian darts may have been delivered with humor, but it highlighted a stark reality: while the Dutchman appears to be rediscovering his best form despite personal turmoil, Belgium’s stars are heading in the opposite direction.

Whether Van Veen’s optimism about a Belgian resurgence proves prophetic remains to be seen. For now, though, Van Gerwen can afford to make jokes—his darts are doing the talking on the oche, and his eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League table suggests that reports of his decline may have been greatly exaggerated.

As the Premier League roadshow heads to Glasgow next week, Van Gerwen will be looking to extend his lead and continue proving that, unlike some of his Belgian neighbors, his struggles are firmly in the rearview mirror.