Kim Huybrechts makes return to PDC circuit one month after double shoulder fracture

Kim Huybrechts will return to action on the PDC circuit next week. 'The Hurricane' suffered a double fracture to his shoulder last month, but Huybrechts apparently already feels fit enough to play an official tournament again.

During the rehabilitation period, Huybrechts did not miss a single ranking tournament. The Belgian dart player broke his shoulder in two places on May 9 after getting involved in a brawl after a soccer match. Huybrechts had traveled to Brussels with some friends to watch the Belgian cup final between Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and his favourite club Royal Antwerp. When Huybrechts walked back to the bus after the match, he was attacked by some fans of the opposing team. 'The Hurricane' sustained a double fracture to his right shoulder, the side on which he also throws his darts.

Huybrechts then underwent quick surgery and was expected to need six to eight weeks of rehabilitation. "The first two weeks he absolutely must not throw darts yet," sports doctor Nick Jansen informed Het Nieuwsblad. "If after that period it appears that the wound has healed well and he feels well enough, then we can look at increasing his activities. Kim already told me that he wants to play that qualifying tournament that will start in four weeks at all costs, whether we let him or not. I did make it clear to him that he will be able to perform far from optimally. His motivation is very high, which is good, but Kim will not be able to make a big impression on those matches. He will lack the necessary strength in his shoulder and his precision will not be up to par. That is different from a cyclist, who can play sports again after a week, because he has to do the work mainly with his legs."

About five weeks proved sufficient to become match-fit. On Tuesday, June 11 and Wednesday, June 12, Players Championship tournaments will be played and a day later two qualifiers for the Euro Tour are scheduled. One of those qualifiers is for the Flanders Darts Trophy. This event takes place from September 6-8 in Antwerp, an excellent opportunity for Huybrechts to play in front of his own crowd.