(VIDEO) Jurjen van der Velde steals the show with insect spray at the World Darts Championship to neutralize the 'Ally Pally wasp' but PDC not pleased

The wasp has emerged as an unexpected supporting act at the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace. Where players normally focus on trebles and doubles, debutant Jurjen van der Velde found himself forced on Tuesday evening to deploy another weapon, namely insect spray.

The 23-year-old Dutchman walked on for his first-round match against compatriot Danny Noppert carrying a can of bug spray. In the build-up to the match he could be seen applying the spray on the stage, a response to the now notorious presence of wasps in the iconic London darts venue. It earned him applause and a smile from the crowd, but in sporting terms it brought no luck. Van der Velde lost the all-Dutch clash 3-1 in sets. An 88 checkout by Noppert in the fifth leg of the third set proved the turning point, after which ‘The Freeze’ finished the job in set four.

That the spray offered no full protection became clear later in the match. TV footage showed Van der Velde trying to swat away a wasp in the second set when the insect came dangerously close to his face. At another moment he dried his eyes with a towel, which led some to think the insect spray had worked a little too effectively. According to the organizers, however, that had nothing to do with the spray, but with the emotions that come with a World Championship debut.

The Professional Darts Corporation leaned into it on social media. "Unconfirmed whether Jurjen Van der Velde is emotional or has sprayed bug spray in his eyes," read a tongue-in-cheek post. The remark underlined how the ‘Ally Pally wasp’ has now become a recurring theme at this World Championship.

Even so, the PDC was not too happy with the Dutchman’s stunt, as he told AD.nl after the match. “It was meant as a joke, but I did get a b*****ing,” Van der Velde said during his press conference.

Van der Velde was certainly not the only player to encounter the insect. Earlier in the evening, a wasp landed in Teemu Harju’s collar during his match against Alan Soutar. The Finn managed to flick the creature away, but the interruption was another sign that the insects are finding their way to the stage with striking frequency this year. Wasps also suddenly appeared on camera during earlier matches and even in post-match interviews.

According to Professor Seirian Sumner, a wasp specialist at University College London, they are likely queens. She believes the insects may be nesting in the lofts, outbuildings, or in the park around Alexandra Palace as per the BBC.

The venue of the Worlds plays a role in this. Alexandra Palace sits in the middle of a vast park of nearly 200 hectares in North London and is surrounded by nature. The historic building is home to a range of wildlife, which makes the setting unique, but this year is also causing unforeseen circumstances.