Van de Velde recounted the drama he went through before and during the Games and that the episode still haunts him. "I was pretty hurt before during the Olympics, but I didn't want to let others bully me or make me quit the Games. It's a shame what happened. It's been ten years since then and I've played over 100 tournaments. But I understand that people still wonder if you can let someone with a past like that compete", he said to the Dutch TV Channel 'NOC'.

Van de Velde admits, however, that he will have to live with what he calls a very serious mistake on his part. "There will be people who will always point the finger at me for what happened. That's fine, that's their right, but I try not to let it influence me. I know this will haunt me for the rest of my life and I have to accept it because I made a mistake. I also slept outside the Olympic Village because I wanted peace for myself and for the other athletes", he told.

The Dutch beach volleyball player claims that he is more mature now but that it would have been a tougher experience if he had gone through this situation when he was ten years younger. "I'm not that teenager anymore, I'm 30 now, I'm married, I have a child and a very nice life. I don't care what other people say or what social media says. But if this had caught me when I was 20 it would have been very different. Still, it had an impact when we were playing. I discussed it with my wife and asked not to forward things to me. But I also had a lot of messages of support", added the athlete.

Van de Velde had to cope with the numerous boos in the stands at every game he played and regrets that his entourage was forced to go through this situation. "Every game I heard more booing and I felt more annoyed and even thought there was no point in playing any more. I asked myself ‘why am I doing this? And that made me stronger as a person and made me concentrate more. But I know it was hard for Matthew, my family, my friends.... I was protected but they were also victims and that wasn't fun", he regrets.

Finally, the Dutchman thanked his country's Olympic Committee for their care, although he has to think about whether it is worth competing again at the Los Angeles Games in 2028. "I think the Dutch Olympic Committee was quite supportive. They took a risk with their statement, they kept me away from the media and they were very supportive, they did well. But these Games have been a very tough experience that I still haven't come to terms with and you wonder if it's really worth it", he concluded.