Darts star Gary Anderson abruptly shakes his rival’s hand and walks away at 3-3

DARTS star Gary Anderson was forced to abandon a Players Championship event due to a shoulder injury.

The Scot, 53, was tied at 3-3 with German Martin Schindler, 27, at the time of the withdrawal.

Gary Anderson was forced to retire due to a shoulder injuryCredit: X

Anderson's exit means Martin Schindler won via walkover — Anderson’s exit means Martin Schindler won via walkoverCredit: X

After hitting 60 in the seventh leg of a best-of-11 match, Anderson was seen fidgeting with his shoulder and shaking his head.

He then spoke to the caller before shaking Schindler’s hand and walking away.

And the commentator admitted it wasn’t a surprise as he was dealing with the shoulder problem.

The darts broadcaster said: “Yes, Gary Anderson is withdrawing from the match.

“I don’t think there’s much surprise in that, he’s obviously in a lot of pain in his shoulder.

“We are on the cusp of a busy time of the calendar year, with many Euro tours coming up.

“Gary Anderson shakes hands with Martin Schindler. He tried to move on.

“So it’s a walkover for Martin Schindler.”

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Fans on social media were disappointed to see Anderson withdraw from the match as they showed sympathy for the two-time world champion.

One said: “I hate seeing it.”

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While another replied: “Not nice to see.”

Anderson’s defeat saw Schindler advance to the quarter-finals, where he was defeated by the night’s winner, Dave Chisnall.

Anderson, who has missed the Premier League for the second season in a row, was knocked out in the fourth round of the World Cup by Brendan Dolan in December.

He last reached the final in 2021 when he lost 7-3 to Gerwyn Price.