Darts commentator Dan Dawson has claimed that Dimitri Van den Bergh may have been "bullied" into altering his distinctive playing style, leading to a slump in form. Van den Bergh, the 31-year-old Belgian nicknamed "The Dreammaker," is currently world number 37 and has slipped out of the top 32 for the first time in a long while, with his PDC Tour Card potentially under threat. He has not reached a ProTour semi-final in the past year and missed qualification for several televised tournaments.
Van den Bergh was known for a deliberate rhythm involving deep breathing exercises and pauses at the table between legs, which helped him win major titles, including the UK Open in 2024 where he defeated Luke Humphries in the final. However, during that tournament, he faced loud booing from fans annoyed by his slow pace. Dawson, on the podcast 'The Darts Show', suggested this criticism pressured Van den Bergh to change, stating: "The fact is when Dimitri was slowing things down and doing all his breathing he was winning titles. It is almost like he has been bullied out of it. 'Oh stop all that, I don’t like it. It is weird and slow'. It feels like he feels pressured to be a certain way to please other people."
Dawson urged Van den Bergh to ignore detractors, saying: "Sod them — you play darts how you play darts if it is how you get the best results out of yourself. He didn’t break any rules. Alright some people didn’t like it — fine, I don’t care." He highlighted Van den Bergh's past successes, including being World Matchplay champion and UK Open winner, and noted he "probably should have won on the Euro Tour." Despite believing in Van den Bergh's talent, Dawson does not expect a quick turnaround, as seen at the recent UK Open where Van den Bergh lost his opening match to Danny Noppert. In the coming months, Van den Bergh will need strong performances on floor events to climb the rankings and requalify for TV tournaments.
