- James Wade beat Raymond van Barneveld 6-4 in the Belgian Open on Saturday
- However, the clash was highlighted by another incident involving the Englishman
- It comes just days after Wade had appeared to lick Luke Humphries on the neck
James Wade has made the headlines once again after the English darts star kissed his opponent Raymond van Barneveld on the cheek.
The incident occurred just days after Wade embraced his formal rival Luke Humphries and appeared to lick him on the neck ahead of their tie at the UK Open.
Now, before he beat van Barneveld with a confident yet surprising 6-4 win in the Belgian Open last 32, the 41-year-old has made another attempt to play mind games on his opponent.
This led to complaints towards the referee from the Dutch player, who could be seen clearly annoyed by Wade’s actions.
Although his controversial gesture’s impact on the win is unclear, the Englishman dominated the game throughout.
The 41-year-old made a comeback after a devastating 11-2 defeat to Luke Littler in Minehead after previously winning the tournament in 2088, 2011 and 2021.
James Wade appeared to kiss Raymond van Barneveld on the cheek ahead of the tie on Saturday
The incident happened just days after the 41-year-old bizarrely appeared to lick Humphries’ neck as they embraced
Wade returned to winning form after his loss to Luke Littler in the UK Open, defeating the Dutchman 6-4
His actions before facing No. 1 Humphries in the quarter-final were more memorable and later criticised by darts star Paul Nicholson.
‘Humphries found himself being harshly criticised by some fans on social media for a frosty handshake and a small shoulder barge,’ he told Sporting Life
‘It is ridiculous for anyone to call Humphries a “bad loser” and his track record of graciousness speaks for itself.
‘There had seemingly been tensions building throughout and they didn’t exchange the usual handshake or fist bump before the deciding leg, while Wade licking Humphries’ neck before the match began may have been an issue.
‘I’m with Luke on this one. I think sometimes as a competitor, you have to draw a line and say, “If you are going to play games and do things within a competitive environment that cross the line, then don’t expect respect in return”.
‘The photograph that surfaced of James sticking his tongue out and touching Luke’s neck was disgusting and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was investigated.’
His comments came after the No 1 was accused by fans over a frosty handshake following the end of the game against Wade.
Footage that surfaced on social media showed Humphries appearing to slightly shoulder barge Wade as he left the stage.
Humphries followed by taking on social media to express his frustrations after the game against Wade
Former darts star Paul Nicholson also hit out at Wade and defended Humphries’ character
After the game, the former world champion took to social media to express his frustrations and clarify the incident in a now-deleted post
‘Everyone loves to see people be a bad loser but I’m generally one of the best losers in the sport,’ he wrote on X.
‘I wasn’t going to give someone, who didn’t deserve my respect after what he was doing through the game, a hug and be all happy about it that’s just my honesty.’
However, the Belgian Open followed with some more unexpected results.
Humphries was defeated 6-4 by Mike De Decker, while darts icon Michael van Gerwen suffered another loss to an underdog, Boris Krcmar, by a score of 6-4.
Both Wade and Luke Littler continue their path to glory after the 18-year-old beat Ryan Searle 6-3.
