VAN GERWEN SHEDS TWENTY KILOS FOR WORLD TITLE BID!

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN has dropped more than “TWENTY KILOS” in a bid to win a fourth World title.

‘Mighty Mike’ arrives at Ally Pally visibly slimmer after a brutal year in which private stress and on-stage frustration piled up.

The Dutchman has since altered his routine, cutting back on food and choosing activity he actually enjoys, ditching the gym in favour of padel.

World No3 Van Gerwen insists the transformation is still a work in progress as he searches for balance between elite sport and life away from the oche.

He said: “I’ve lost more than twenty kilos and we’re not there yet. I still need to drop about ten.

“Part of it comes from living and moving consciously, but part was due to stress.

“In a long relationship you fall into a rut where you don’t put yourself first. Now I do, and that matters.

“I find the gym mind-numbing. On the padel court you meet people, it’s fun and it keeps me active.

“A lesson now and then, that suits me. I need to work on myself a bit, that’s only sensible.”

The shrinking waistline has even caused headaches for his kit supplier, with former pro and close friend Vincent van der Voort joking that Winmau are “going mad” over his constantly changing sizes.

Van Gerwen responded with trademark blunt humour: “I’m not going to throw in pajamas, am I? And I don’t have a six-pack either — I’m no Brad Pitt.”

MVG has also been vocal about the PDC’s newly expanded prize fund at this year’s World Championship, where the winner will pocket more than £1million for the first time.

Van Gerwen fears the new model could distort the sport’s rankings and admits the £400,000 prize for the runner-up does not sit well with him.

He continued: “We’d never have dared dream of that all these years.

“But I just don’t think the distribution is fair.

“I think the place after the winner should never be less than half. The PDC only flaunts the top prize.

“The problem is that the world champion can soon say he hardly needs to play any other tournament. Whoever that is.”

Van der Voort agreed and added: “If you win a million and then only play a few more tournaments, you don’t have to show up anywhere else.

“Your position at the top is no longer in danger. That puts the PDC in a tricky spot.”

48-time major winner Van Gerwen summed it up bluntly: “I need to win 600 Pro Tours and then I still don’t have enough.

“That’s winning all floor events for twenty years. What’s that about? That can’t be right, can it?”

Van Gerwen begins his World Championship campaign on December 18 against debutant Mitsuhiko Tatsunami.

Image by Taylor Lanning.