"That hug after the matches still felt very weird and uncomfortable" - Jelle Klaasen analyses strained relationship of Belgian World Cup of Darts pair

Belgium reached the semifinals of the 2024 World Cup of Darts last weekend. Dimitri Van den Bergh and Kim Huybrechts eventually went down 8-3 against Austria in the final four.

Beforehand, there was a lot of talk about the clouded relationship between Van den Bergh and Huybrechts. It was therefore somewhat of a surprise for many darts fans, to see that they were playing so well as a duo at the World Cup of Darts. "I know Dimitri quite well and it did surprise me how close they were on stage, but it worked in the end," fellow dart player Jelle Klaasen told the podcast 'Double Top'. "At that point you have to put your personal things aside for a moment. It wasn't always fun to watch, though. That you give each other a fist beforehand or on stage is good, but that hug after the matches still felt very weird and uncomfortable."

"I honestly didn't expect it at all that Dimitri and Kim were going to play together at the World Cup of Darts," Klaasen continued, with the Dutchman not alone in this assumption, especially given the fact Huybrechts suffered a broken collarbone after being embroiled in a scrap at the Belgian Cup Final just a couple of months ago.

"I heard beforehand that Dimitri was advised by the PDC to stay away from Kim, then I do find it strange that the PDC still let them compete together at the World Cup of Darts," concludes the former Lakeside champion. "But they made it to the semifinals anyway, so it wasn't for nothing."

In the end, it was the English duo of Michael Smith and Luke Humphries who triumphed at the 2024 World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt. The former World Darts Championship winning started the event as pre tournament favourites and more than lived up to the hype.