Darts star Dimitri Van den Bergh, 30, forced to withdraw from Players Championship just MINUTES before match

DARTS star Dimitri Van den Bergh surprisingly withdrew from his match just minutes before he was due at the oche.

The 30-year-old was set to face Jose de Sousa in the 13th Players Championship event of the year today.

Rex

Dimitri Van den Bergh pulled out of his match minutes before he was due on stage[/caption]

Van den Bergh was scheduled to take to the stage for his first round tie at 1:25pm.

But the PDC revealed just four minutes before his expected walk-on that he had pulled out.

They confirmed in a statement that an illness was the reason for his withdrawal.

Van den Bergh was not replaced in the draw and De Sousa was handed a walkover into the second round.

The Portuguese veteran will face Karel Sedlacek next, who recorded a shock 6-3 win over James Wade.

Van den Bergh was not the only player who pulled out of today’s Players Championship event as Gary Anderson revealed this morning he was not going to play.

There was time to find a replacement for the Scot in the shape of world No144 Andreas Harryson.

Premier League stars Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Stephen Bunting and Rob Cross are not involved.

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But Michael van Gerwen, Nathan Aspinall, Chris Dobey and Gerwyn Price are in action.

It is no surprise to see the Dutchman take to the oche as the tournament is coming from Rosmalen in Holland ahead of Thursday’s Prem night in Rotterdam.