darts players to share a sporting handshake following a match. Some even have a friendly hug. But there was no chance of any of that following Michael van Gerwen’s 6-2 victory over Jelle Klaasen at the Dutch Darts Championship on Saturday.
The pair didn’t even acknowledge each other before Klaasen sloped off the stage while Van Gerwen grabbed his young daughter out of the crowd.
That’s been the case following various matches between the players over the last decade. "I went into the match with some nerves, everyone knows my past with Jelle,” said Van Gerwen, who recorded his 14th successive win over Klaasen and hasn't lost to him for eight years.That ‘past’ is delicate, to say the least.
The pair used to be best mates, but their friendship ended abruptly in 2012 after Klaasen was accused of sending explicit photo messages to a 15-year-old family friend of Van Gerwen.In December of that year, Klaasen was sentenced to 16 hours of community service and a fine of 327 euros before eventually resuming his career.
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