Van Gerwen criticized after King’s Night outing: "Think: you’re an elite athlete, at least that’s how you want to present yourself"

Recent events surrounding Michael van Gerwen have reignited debate about the Dutch star’s lifestyle. The trigger was the King’s Night incident, during which Van Gerwen was unexpectedly struck in the face. Although the darter himself has little to answer for and the perpetrator has since apologized, concerns are growing about the distractions around his career.

On a Sportnieuws.nl podcast, former hockey stars Ellen Hoog and Naomi van As discussed the situation. One topic was whether Van Gerwen must drastically change his lifestyle to consistently contend for the biggest titles again. Hoog left no room for doubt: “Yes, agreed.”

According to Hoog, the incident fits a broader pattern. “He’s gotten into another scuffle,” she said, referring to an earlier incident in a kebab shop. On the recent episode she added: “He was at a festival and got slapped in the face by some deadbeat. He’s obviously a familiar face, he really stands out so everyone goes up to him. Someone was just too hammered and smacked him in the face. And then he ran after him.”

While Van Gerwen appears mainly a victim here, Hoog believes it raises questions about his choices off the oche. “It’s all just unwise. I also think: you’re an elite athlete. At least, that’s how you want to present yourself. They play darts all year round and if you want to perform well, you have to live accordingly. I believe that if you’re fresh and fit and watch your nutrition, you’ll have much better concentration and throw better than if you don’t.”

At the same time, Hoog shows understanding for the three-time world champion’s personal circumstances. “He got divorced last year and I think he’s kind of reliving a second youth. He was always in the regime of darts and a family at home.”

Van As followed up with a broader question about the lives of top players in darts. “What kind of regime is that? I’m so curious. Those top darters, what kind of life do they lead? Do they all watch their nutrition? Do they train too?”

Hoog believes physical preparation does play a role, even in a sport like darts. “I’d think so, because you still have to train your arms and your overall fitness has to be good, otherwise you’ll get injured if you keep making the same movement.” Van As replied with a wink: “I’d like to see them do a beep test,” before acknowledging that endurance does matter: standing on stage for long stretches demands concentration and conditioning.

Even so, Hoog is critical of Van Gerwen’s current situation. “I think he’s doing very little at the moment. It’s a real shame, because he has more than enough talent. He just doesn’t live for it.”