You’re just a bunch of snobs
DARTS WILLIAM HILL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Raging van Gerwen slams ‘sad and pathetic’ Dutch sports awards after being snubbed
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN has slammed “sad” and “pathetic” Dutch sporting snobs.
And the Green Machine has vowed to go from “little sucker in the class” to King of the World by ramming their jibes down their throats.
Van Gerwen was left devastated by a shameful snub in his homeland at last week’s Sportsman of the Year Awards.
Despite winning a staggering 25 tournaments in 12 months, the 27-year-old didn’t even get a nomination.
Voting chairman Jeroen Bijl said: “We use a criteria for a sport that is not Olympic, which is darts, that must have at least 55 countries at a World Cup.
“Darts is very much under that criteria. Van Gerwen has never seriously been in the picture. It was also said that the most important tournament, the World Cup, he did not win.”
The Sportsman of the Year nominations were speed skater Sven Kramer, Grand Prix driver Max Verstappen, cyclist Tom Dumoulin, windsurfer Dorian van Rysselberghe and open-water swimmer Ferry Weertman.
Holland’s darts-daft public reacted furiously at the van Gerwen snub and pointed to the fact that Verstappen also did not meet the 55-country excuse.
To rub salt into the wounds, van Gerwen got an invite to sit among the spectators at the gala ceremony.
But he slung it back and said: “What would I have been doing there? Filling up the hall? I’d have been standing there as the little sucker in the class when I got there.
“Then I’d have all the interviews and stupid questions I do not feel like answering at all. So I decided not to go. “What more do I need to do to even get nominated?
“Then they all go looking for lame excuses not to nominate me.
“That’s a little sad, perhaps pathetic of them.
“Maybe I’m not set to win but they can nevertheless easily nominate six?
“It’s more frustrating. It is of course a great honour to be invited for this and stand with all the other great athletes.
“Sven Kramer, Max Verstappen, all those other guys.
“They are obviously very big names in the sport and it would be nice if you could be there in the same breath with them.
“But I had not really expected that I would be nominated, so what am I supposed to do?”
Dutch sports Minister Edith Schippers travelled to watch MVG in his first game and supported his claims. She said: “Darts is a top sport. It’s a non-discussion. It’s really a non-debate that darts would be not a sport. Let’s stop it.”
Van Gerwen isn’t sulking and, instead, wants to take the William Hill World Championship title back to Holland as the perfect riposte to his detractors and payback to his fans.
The world No.1 needs no motivation and also bashed aside Phil Taylor’s jibes and claims his rival won’t win.
Van Gerwen said: “That does not mean anything to me.
“Taylor always says things to his opponents perhaps to make them a bit confused or something.
“I do not know what he means by it but it means nothing to me.
“The 25 titles I won this year mean nothing now, they don’t count. It’s all about this World Championship now.
“I put myself under this pressure every day of the week. I want to win this title.
“I never look too far ahead because people ask me about the Worlds six months ago but I wasn’t thinking about it.
“You just need to make sure you are ready for this in December, not before.
“I wouldn’t swap all this year’s titles for the Worlds. I’m a winner, I don’t like losing so I have pressure put on by myself.
“I’ve enjoyed this year and they all mean a lot but this Worlds is different and I want this more than anything.”
What more do I need to do to get nominated? They go looking for excuses VAN GERWEN