England’s Chris Dobey has dramatically refused to play his match against Belgium’s Kim Huybrechts, alleging that his opponent used illegal earplugs to gain an unfair advantage during his 6-4 victory over Josh Rock
In a heated pre-match scene, Dobey, who is due to face Huybrechts has made his stance clear. He accused the home favorite of using electronic earplugs designed to block out crowd noise or, he suggested, provide coaching cues—a direct violation of Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and WDF equipment regulations.
“I’m not playing him. Simple as that,” Dobey said in the players’ area, visibly agitated. “Everyone saw it yesterday. He had something in his ears against Josh Rock. You cannot tell me those were just regular earplugs. That’s cheating. If the officials won’t do anything about it, I will.”
The controversy stems from Huybrechts’ narrow 6-4 victory over rising star Josh Rock in the semi-final on Saturday. Multiple spectators and players reported seeing Huybrechts remove what appeared to be small, flesh-colored electronic devices from his ears after the match, though the Belgian initially dismissed them as standard noise-cancelling plugs used to focus amid a raucous home crowd.
Rock, who has yet to release an official statement, was seen in deep conversation with tournament officials following the match.
Tournament organizers held an emergency meeting with both Dobey and Huybrechts ahead of the scheduled final, but Dobey remained resolute. “The integrity of the sport is on the line,” Dobey stated. “If we start allowing devices that can feed information or block out the atmosphere that every other player has to deal with, it’s no longer a fair competition.”
Huybrechts, a seasoned veteran on the tour, vehemently denied any wrongdoing and accused Dobey of “sour grapes” and attempting to tarnish his reputation.
“It’s ridiculous. I use standard, off-the-shelf earplugs because I have sensitivity to noise. They are not electronic. They don’t ‘help me cheat,’” Huybrechts responded. “Chris is looking for an excuse because he didn’t want to face me in front of my home crowd. To call me a cheater is a low blow. I won that semi-final fair and square.”
With Dobey refusing to take to the oche, the final was delayed for over an hour before officials ultimately awarded the title to Huybrechts by default. A brief statement from the tournament director read: “Following a disagreement regarding player equipment, Chris Dobey declined to participate in the final. The result stands as a walkover victory for Kim Huybrechts.”
The incident has sent shockwaves through the darts world. Social media exploded with split opinion, with some backing Dobey’s stance against potential technological tampering, while others criticized him for abandoning a final and denying fans a conclusion to the tournament.
The PDC is expected to launch a formal investigation into the nature of the earplugs used by Huybrechts during his match against Rock. If found to be illegal electronic devices, Huybrechts could face a hefty fine, suspension, and the stripping of his Belgian Open title.
For now, the silverware remains in Belgian hands, but the tournament will be remembered less for the darts played and more for the explosive allegations that saw its final implode before a dart was thrown.