Dutch dart player's tournament exit was over match fixing suspicions

Darter Raymond van Barneveld dropped out a tournament last year because he was suspected of match fixing. He said this in the NOS podcast Gefixt. The international darts regulator (DRA) investigated and put the tournament under supervision, according to NOS.

"I was a bit done with it," Van Barneveld told NOS about his decision to resign. "Immediately they'll examine every match of mine after this. I am not interested in that for now."

Van Barneveld denied that he was involved in an dubious practices in any way. "I will never sell myself. But just before the match I heard that high amounts had been bet. That's why I went into the match with a bad feeling. I thought: what will people think if I do lose? I felt heavily under pressure. That showed. I panicked."

This involved a webcam tournament in April 2020, in which the players played from their living room due to the coronavirus pandemic. Van Barneveld was not playing as a professional at that time.