INTERVIEW - Van der Voort misses sport during Coronavirus pandemic: 'I think I will have watched everything on Netflix as soon as the corona crisis is over'

After being away almost every weekend for years, Vincent van der Voort has been at home for a month due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Dutchman played two Pro Tour events in mid-March, while the coronavirus had already broken out in Europe. Van der Voort was not surprised that the PDC decided to shut down the darts circuit following the double-header in Barnsley, he said in an extensive interview with DartsNews.

''We saw that coming. Some players said the Pro Tour events in Barnsley should not have been played either. Darts was pretty much the only sport that continued at that time.''

Since then, the Dutch Destroyer has been at home a lot. Normally he spends his free time watching his favourite sports on television, but other sport events are cancelled or postponed as well. Netflix still offers some salvation against boredom.

“Normally I am very busy, I am always away and now I am at home a lot. I practice twice a week with Michael van Gerwen and do exercises for my back, but otherwise it is quite boring without sports. I think I will have watched everything on Netflix as soon as the Coronavirus is over'', Van der Voort joked.

Keeping condition

In the meantime, the former UK Open finalist is trying to keep fit for the remainder of the season. Many tournaments have already been moved to autumn. So it promises to be a busy autumn when the PDC circuit can be resumed within a few months.

That also means extra strain on the body of Fast Vinnie, who has had many back injuries in the past. That pain is still there, but Van der Voort has now learned to deal better with the physical discomfort. That is why he is already trying to prepare for a busy second half of the season.

"We don't know yet how long this will take, but it will be very hard for me. I now have to do the exercises myself, because all gyms are now closed. As long as the physiotherapist is still open, I will go there, but I have to do a lot at home. I'm going to try to be as fit as possible as soon as we start again.”

Darts shop

In addition to professional darts, Van der Voort is also a businessman. He owns a darts shop in the Dutch city Zaandam, where his wife Karin and son Kevin run the business. The Coronavirus naturally also has an impact on his store, where fewer customers come every day than usual. On the other hand, the number of online orders is higher than usual.

“It is quieter than usual in the store. A maximum of four customers can be in at the same time. We also notice that the (local) competitions have stopped. In addition, my wife is a lung patient, so she should not be in the store because she belongs to the high risk group. A lot depends on my son, but I don't want to burden him too much with it. ”

“We have already thought about bringing parcels (with orders) in our local area, which is an option. It is all the great unknown you encounter. When are you doing well, when are you not doing well? However, we are still open for the time being.''