Kleermaker warns BDO World Darts Championship is ‘ending’ after skint bosses slash prize money from £100k to just £23k
THE cash-strapped BDO is "ending" and under-fire chairman Des Jacklin is "scared" to face players after slashing prize money, warns Martijn Kleermaker.
The Dutch Giant delivered a startling putdown on the current state of the darts body currently hosting its World Championship at The O2.
SunSport told you how BDO chiefs are cutting this year's purse significantly - and opening themselves up to legal challenges from angry darts stars.
Glen Durrant, 49, earned £100,000 for lifting the BDO world darts trophy at Lakeside in January 2019.
However, several BDO players fear they will receive a minimum of just £23,000 for becoming the 2020 world champion on Sunday.
Images from the start of the tournament showed sparse tables devoid of fans, with one even appearing to fall asleep.
Funnily enough that was during Kleermaker's win over Gino Vos.
Now the 28-year-old Kleermaker has vented his frustration at darts chief Des Jacklin over the fiasco and predicted the end of the organisation after more than 47 years.
He told Dutch television channel RTL 7: "I have heard messages about reducing the prize money even more, but nothing has been said to me by the board.
"If it has indeed been lowered even more, then you know that the BDO is slowly ending.
'THE BDO IS SLOWLY ENDING'
"It seems there is no money left and bills cannot be paid."
And speaking in particular about chief executive Jacklin, Kleermaker said: "I think he's scared to face us, because we hardly see him in the players' room either.
"If you are chairman of the BDO and you organise the World Championship, you can expect that you would see him, but that's not the case.
"He has no support from me and many with me. It seems to be an untenable situation."
Kleermaker's strong words are unlikely to sit well with Jacklin's wife Paula.
The women's No 12 seeded branded critics of the doomed event "lowlife scum".
In an astonishing Facebook rant, the 62-year-old wrote: "I’m appalled at the lowlife scum that have ridiculed my fellow players and their family members on social media.
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"I get it every day but my fellow players are not as resilient as myself — as over my head it goes.
"After reading certain comments about them, to the people who have posted these insults, YOU ARE TRULY SCUM!!!
"Moderators of certain sites if you let this continue then you also fall into this category for letting this continue."