MICHAEL VAN GERWEN and Benito van de Pas received special support as they began their bids to win the William Hill World Darts Championship on Saturday.
The Dutch duo were cheered on by Edith Schippers, Minister for Health, Welfare & Sport in the Netherlands and Simon Smits, the Dutch Ambassador to the United Kingdom, as they competed at London's Alexandra Palace.
Van de Pas had defeated Malaysia's Tengku Shah during the afternoon session on Saturday, where the diplomatic guests also met the new Junior Darts Corporation champion Maikel Verberk, the Dutch teenager who had won his title on stage earlier in the day.
They later watched world number one van Gerwen begin his challenge to complete a remarkable 2016 by claimimg his second World Championship title, as he defeated Finland's Kim Viljanen 3-0.
Mrs Schippers' visit also included an interview with Dutch broadcaster RTL7, where she showed her support for both the crop of Dutch stars as well as the sport itself.
"I came here to end the discussion about darts being a sport or entertainment," she said. "It is a top sport."
Van Gerwen had previously been invited to meet King Willem-Alexander after winning his first World Championship three years ago, while Raymond van Barneveld's achievements have been recognised by both Royalty and the Dutch Government.