Michael van Gerwen has revealed why he snubbed the World Cup of Darts this year.
The three-time winner of the tournament announced he would not be taking part in the tournament, with 23-year-old Gian van Veen replacing him.
Van Veen will be joined by van Gerwen’s partner in last year’s competition, world no 16 Danny Noppert.
A difficult run of form this year, along with some injury problems, led to van Gerwen’s decision to withdraw from the prestigious tournament.
World no 23 Gian van Veen has replaced Michael van Gerwen in this year's World Cup
PA
The three-time world champion announced his decision following his victory at the German Grand Prix.
The 36-year-old beat his replacement, van Veen 8-5, in the final, and explained his choice while lauding the world no 23.
He told Dartsnews.com: "He’s a fantastic player and definitely someone to keep an eye on in the future.
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"I won’t be part of the team this year – I’m on holiday."
Van Gerwen continued to admit that there is a very real possibility that he will not return to the team in the future.
"Maybe it’s an option in the future – but you never know what might happen," he added.
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"Maybe I’ll never play in the World Cup of Darts again.”
If this is to be the end for van Gerwen at the World Cup, he goes down with a legendary legacy.
Van Gerwen is part of only two teams to have ever defended the World Cup title, along with England’s Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis.
Additionally, Lewis, Taylor and van Gerwen’s former international partner Raymond van Barneveld are the only players to have more triumphs in the competition with four.
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Adrian Lewis and Phil Taylor, along with Raymond van Barneveld, are the only three to have won the World Cup more than Michael van Gerwen
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MVG and Noppert finished third last year, as Luke Humphries and Michael Smith ran out victors for England.
MVG’s decision comes amid a disappointing campaign so far that saw the Dutchman failing to qualify for the playoffs in the Premier League for just the second time in 13 years.
Following that, the seven-time Premier League winner hit out at fans who had labelled him ‘lazy’ after his recent performances at the oche and failure to attend some events.
Speaking to Online Darts, van Gerwen said: “Sometimes when you’re too busy, people don’t know my schedule.
"Maybe only Phil Taylor, maybe Luke Littler now, but no one else my schedule in the last 13, 14, 15 years, so it’s difficult for them to judge about it.
"They’ve never been in that position. I have to just answer with performances and it’s the only thing I can do.”
He is not the only one to complain about the current PDC schedule, with Premier League semi-finalist Nathan Aspinall lambasting it as “obscene”.
Van Gerwen’s intense schedule, coupled with his disappointing performance in the year so far, has seemingly led the 36-year-old to prioritise family holiday time over further glory.
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