Mike De Decker struggles with interviews of compatriot Dimitri van den Bergh: "I can't listen to it"

For Mike De Decker, the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship ended in disappointment. The 29-year-old Belgian lost 3-1 in sets to Luke Woodhouse in the second round. Sunday night, 'Real Deal' was in the studio for Viaplay, where he looked back on his match and talked about his compatriot Dimitri van den Bergh, who did manage to win his match last night.

About his loss against Woodhouse, the Belgian remained fairly level-headed: "It just didn't go my way. I threw one set well, that was the third, but other than that it just didn't go. I already felt it while throwing in on stage," De Decker began his analysis. "I tried everything at one point. I tried everything but it just wouldn't work. Darts is a moment sport, even if I had to throw half an hour later I might have played like a top player, but that was not the case. Next World Championships I'm just not going to throw in I think," he said with a laugh.

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His compatriot Dimitri van den Bergh was a lot more successful in his second round match. 'The Dreammaker' easily put his opponent Dylan Slevin aside 3-0. De Decker, despite being compatriots, also sees a lot of differences. "Dimitri is really a stage beast. He lives up from that attention, from his dancing and from the cameras."

De Decker says he is good friends with Van den Bergh, but he does struggle with his compatriot's interviews. "I can't listen to them. I like him to death but I think his interviews are terrible. Both before the match and after, after it is often much worse. I've also said to him that it might be a good idea to do a day or two of media training, that they explain to you how to handle interviews. His interviews are often just not good," De Decker concluded.

"He tells all kinds of irrelevant things. With the Grand Slam, he suddenly conjured up a coin. That was then his 'Lucky Penny,' but nobody asks about that at all. Things like that. I just really can't listen to it," the Belgian concluded with a laugh.

Van den Bergh will return to the Alexandra Palace after Christmas to take on Briton Callan Rydz in the third round.

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