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Jenny Segers/PDC Europe

'They twist everything out of context' – Mike De Decker critical of darts media

Originally posted on Dartsnews.com | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 12:59 PM ET

In the latest episode of the Double Top podcast, hosted by Damian Vlottes and Matthias de Vlieger, two notable guests joined the discussion: Mike De Decker and Gian van Veen. The conversation provided insight into the current state of Belgian and Dutch darts, touching on sensitive topics ranging from the pressure Belgian players face to sharp criticism of certain darts media outlets.

Right from the start, the hosts labelled De Decker as the Belgian expected to carry the national flag this year. With fellow countrymen Dimitri Van den Bergh and Kim Huybrechts struggling for consistency, it is De Decker who is still flying the flag. Yet he dismissed the idea of feeling any added pressure.

“No, none at all. I’m not thinking about that whatsoever,” replied the ‘Real Deal’ calmly. “As I said earlier, I’m just trying to get back to my own level. It’s been a tough six months, but I only look at myself. Of course, I hope the other Belgians do well too, but I’m not bothered about being the one who has to carry the flag.”

Gian van Veen: “The pressure is much heavier in Belgium”

While De Decker shrugged it off, Gian van Veen did see a clear difference between the Netherlands and Belgium. According to him, darts has become so popular in Belgium in such a short space of time that players there are more likely to buckle under the pressure.

“It could be related to private life, but it’s also just the pressure,” Van Veen explained. “In Belgium, darts is booming. That weighs heavily. Look, we have Van Gerwen, and he carries the pressure of an entire darts nation. If he loses in the first round, it’s headline news everywhere. If I lose, it isn’t news. But in Belgium, it happens much more quickly with a Dimitri, a Kim or a Mike. Maybe the other players there feel that pressure a lot more.”

It’s a fair comparison. In the Netherlands, Michael van Gerwen has long been the leading figure since Raymond van Barneveld, allowing others to stay out of the spotlight to some extent. In Belgium, however, almost every slip-up by the established names becomes a media story.

Criticism of darts media

That naturally led the conversation to a contentious subject: the role of darts journalism. Both Kim Huybrechts earlier in the episode, and later Mike De Decker, were outspoken in their criticism.

“I don’t do interviews with Dartsnieuws, nothing at all,” said De Decker. “Purely because they twist everything out of context. Someone I absolutely refuse to do interviews with is Pieter Verbeek [editor of Dartsnieuws.com]. He enjoys setting people against each other. He once forwarded a screenshot of one of my tweets to a tournament director. Why? I’ve no idea. But then you just think, what on earth are we doing?”

According to De Decker, it goes beyond sporting matters: private issues are also often dragged into the spotlight, something he clearly takes issue with.

Naturally, the discussion also turned to the situation of Dimitri Van den Bergh. The former Top 16 player was forced to come through qualifiers this time, only to suffer an early exit.

“I just spoke to him,” said De Decker. “I gave him a bit of space first, because it cut quite deep. It’s a shame that he’s gone from being a seeded player to a qualifier – that alone is painful. And when he then loses as well, with everyone crowding around him, that doesn’t help. Give the lad ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. He’s going through a tough time. Whatever exactly is going on, that’s for him to keep to himself. It’s not my place to say.”

This article first appeared on Dartsnews.com and was syndicated with permission.

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