"The other players backstage were left stunned" - More details emerge following Dimitri Van den Bergh's shock last minute withdrawal from Players Championship 13

Dimitri Van den Bergh was set to compete at Players Championships 13 and 14 this week, but a surprise last-minute withdrawal from his opening match at PC13 raised eyebrows across the darts community.

The Belgian was scheduled to face Portugal’s Jose de Sousa in the first round at 12:25 p.m. (UK time) on Monday. However, just four minutes before the match was due to begin, the PDC announced that Van den Bergh would not be playing, citing illness.

According to Het Laatste Nieuws, Van den Bergh had been warming up as usual ahead of the match. “He was smiling, relaxed - there was no sign that anything was wrong,” the report noted. “Then, suddenly, he packed up his gear and left. The other players backstage were left stunned.”

Sources close to the player later clarified that, although Van den Bergh appeared in good spirits, he began feeling unwell at the oche and made the late call to withdraw.

A statement posted on his official Facebook fan page, via his fiancée Evi, echoed that sentiment. “An explanation will follow when the time is right,” she wrote. “Dimitri wouldn’t do this lightly. In 10 years as a professional, he’s never pulled out of a match like this. What had to be done, was done. There’s no need for justification - but when the time is right, there will be communication.”

Van den Bergh also withdrew from Players Championship 14 the following day. He is expected to return to the stage this weekend at the German Darts Grand Prix, the fourth stop on the 2025 European Tour.

As for the Players Championship itself, after wins for Damon Heta and Jonny Clayton at PC13 and PC14 respectively, the circuit now takes a brief pause, with the tour resuming on Monday, May 12th, in Hildesheim, Germany, for the 15th event of the season.