Jurjen van der Velde took an unusual approach to the wasp problem at the World Darts Championship, bringing wasp spray on stage for his first-round match against Danny Noppert at Alexandra Palace. Since the tournament’s opener last Thursday, wasps have been a nuisance to players. However, most competitors, including Ross Smith and Luke Humphries, have simply tried to swat them away.
Van der Velde, on the other hand, decided to take matters into his own hands. He brought a can of wasp spray on stage with him to ensure he wasn’t disturbed by the insects during his face-off with Noppert at Ally Pally. Upon entering the stage, Van der Velde was seen spraying the substance onto his shirt and neck. Unfortunately, his plan backfired when he accidentally got some of the spray in his eyes.
He attempted to remedy the situation by wiping his eyes with the cloth he uses for his glasses as the match was momentarily delayed.
Despite this mishap, Van der Velde carried on with the game and managed to score an impressive 120 checkout to win the opening leg against his fellow Dutchman, Noppert. However, the former UK Open champion retaliated by winning three of the next four legs, hitting three 180s and averaging 97.64 in the process.
Unfazed by Noppert’s initial set victory, Van der Velde made a comeback by winning the second set 3-1, showcasing some excellent darts and scoring another remarkable 100+ checkout.
Noppert ultimately ran out as a 3-1 winner and it was difficult to tell whether the occasion proved to be emotional for Van der Velde or whether the spray continued to have a lasting effect, as he could be seen rubbing his eyes after the match.
« Job done after an absolute cracker, » Sky Sports commentator Stuart Pyke said of the match. « The all-Dutch affair lived up to all expectations.
« When Noppert found top gear, he literally was unstoppable. The world No 6 is on his way – hopefully, from his point of view – towards a big, big World Championship. »
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