Stephen Bunting was involved in Euro Tour action this weekend (Image: PDC TV)
was involved in a tense altercation with fellow darts star Jermaine Wattimena following the pair’s Saturday afternoon match at the Belgian Open. The Bullet had found himself 3-0 down but came back to win an astonishing six legs on the trot and progress into the last 16.
The flashpoint came after Bunting hit the winning double, with Wattimena quickly turning his back to the ace, who had gone over to shake his hand. Wattimena eventually went over to confront Bunting, but instead of the usual amicable embrace, it appeared the two were involved in a frosty exchange.
Wattimena had plenty of words for a bemused-looking Bunting, who, after the Dutchman had wandered off, turned to the crowd with a confused look on his face. He pointed to his opponent as if to say, ‘what was that about?’, with Bunting clearly taken back by the post-match dressing down.
Bunting was quizzed on the encounter during his onstage interview, with the World Championship semi-finalist saying: “Jermaine was telling me that I was doing something wrong. I’ve got a lot of respect for Jermaine, I didn’t expect that at the end of the game.
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Stephen Bunting has struggled for form so far this year (Image: Getty)
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“I tried my best to win the game. I thought it was just a normal game, he picked up on something, I don’t know what it was. I’ll have a word with him backstage. There was no malice in my game, you’ve known me for many years now and I’m not that type of player to play mind games on people.”
Despite the theatrics from Wattimena, Bunting will have been mightily pleased to have got back to winning ways following a difficult start to 2025. Having reached the last four of the Worlds and won the Bahrain Masters, the Englishman would’ve hoped for more from his performances this year, particularly in the Premier League, where he remains bottom of the standings and winless after five weeks of action.
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What’s more, his showings at the two majors this year have also disappointed, with Bunting knocked out in the third round of the Masters last month, as well as crashing out in his first game at last week’s UK Open. But a strong showing at the first Euro Tour event of the year would at least go some way to silencing the critics and inspiring confidence ahead of night six of the Premier League on Thursday. He faces Daryl Gurney in the last 16 this afternoon (Sunday).