Darts star Kim Huybrechts has slammed the ‘senseless violence’ that left him with a double fracture to his shoulder in Belgium. The PDC player was returning home from watching Antwerp’s Belgian FA Cup final defeat against Union Saint-Gilloise on Thursday when he claims he was hit with a motorcycle helmet, tackled to the ground and stamped on.
Huybrechts was taken to hospital where an X-Ray scan showed he had suffered a double fracture to his shoulder. Despite it being his throwing arm, he hopes to make a miraculous four-week recovery after surgery.
“About 30 young people started shouting something – that Union had won, and so on,” the 38-year-old told Belgian newspaper HLN.
“A few Antwerp fans shouted back. You know how that goes. I said to my comrade: ‘Come on, we’ll pass them, because we have to get to the bus on time’.”
But Huybrechts and his friend Kevin were unable to reach the bus before they suffered the attack in a nearby park. The former World Championship quarter-finalist continued: “But when I want to go past those young people on the left, I suddenly get a push.
“Then things quickly escalated. I turned around and was hit from the right with a motorcycle helmet. Afterwards I was tackled to the ground and they started stamping on my head, chin and collarbone.
“I was defenceless and felt quite quickly that something was wrong. In two minutes everything had happened and the group had already started walking. Maybe those young people thought that I had also shouted something at them? There were no police in that park either. I thought that was strange.
“On my part there was no reason at all. So this is senseless violence. I was in the usual place at the wrong time. I don’t think they were targeting me.
“Something like that makes you angry, yes. I didn’t recognise anyone, because the attacks mainly happened from behind and everything went by in a flash.”
Huybrechts admits he initially feared for his career but has been reassured by doctors: “I don’t fear that this will have any further consequences. The doctors told me not to worry about my recovery and career.”
He added: “I am positive. I am having surgery today and want to be darts-mobile as soon as possible. The prognosis is six weeks, but I would like to be ready after four weeks. Then there are the qualifications for the tournament in Antwerp. I would really like to be there.”
