Gian van Veen triumphs at the European Championship in Dortmund. The Dutchman is already showered with praise. Yet, some time ago, he almost ended his career.
It was an evening that wrote darts history and perhaps the day when one of the sport’s greatest talents definitely played his way to the top of the world.
At just 23 years old, Gian van Veen crowned himself the youngest European champion in darts history, succeeding his compatriot Michael van Gerwen, who won the title in 2014 at the age of 25.
For the Dutchman, it is also his first major title and accordingly the greatest success of his career.
“I will never forget this moment. It’s incredible to win my first major title in Germany. What a night,” celebrated van Veen.
European Championship: Consistent van Veen is unstoppable
Van Veen showed consistent performances throughout the tournament in Dortmund and cleared Damon Heta (6:3), Ryan Searle (10:2), Ryan Joyce (10:5), and van Gerwen (11:9) from his path on the way to the final.
“I now know every venue, know how things work in the practice room, how it feels on stage, what happens after the match, how the press and social media work. All of this gives me calm and makes me more consistent. I feel more comfortable than last year – and that shows in the results,” explained van Veen after the match against Joyce.
Even in the final, the top talent was unstoppable. “I’m bleeding a little,” said van Veen after cutting himself on one of his darts in the semifinal.
However, the small injury was no obstacle for the final against the world number one. In a hard-fought duel with Luke Humphries, van Veen prevailed 11:10 and made the darts fairy tale perfect.
Van Veen establishes himself among the world’s best players
It is the highlight so far of a year in which van Veen gradually established himself among the best players in the world.
In March, he won his first Pro Tour title at Players Championship 6 by defeating Humphries again 8:3. This was followed by reaching the final at the German Darts Grand Prix as well as consistently good results on the Pro Tour and European Tour.
“I showed what I can do throughout the year on the European Tour. Even when I lost, they were always strong games. I never fell below 90 in average – I knew that wasn’t a coincidence,” he commented on his strong performances.
“Generational talent”: High praise for darts youngsters
During the European Championship, van Veen received a lot of praise from the public – including from former pro and TV commentator Chris Mason, who described the youngster as a “generational talent.”
A description to which van Veen responded modestly: “That’s incredibly nice to hear, of course. But I’m in the same generation as Luke Littler – so it’s hard to call me that. Still, hearing someone like Chris Mason say that means a lot to me.”
In fact, the Dutchman has been considered one of the greatest talents in the scene for some time and was accordingly awarded the best newcomer 2023 by the PDC. He also won the PDC Youth Championship in 2024.
With the success at the European Championship, van Veen now takes a huge step at the highest level.
In the PDC Order of Merit, “The Giant” jumps eight places up and now stands at rank seven in the world rankings. Additionally, the European Championship title brought prize money of around 137,000 euros.
Dartitis almost forced van Veen to end his career
Despite the successes and undeniable talent, van Veen’s career has also been marked by difficult phases that almost forced him to end his career.
“When I struggled with dartitis, I almost wanted to quit. I thought I would never play again. But I kept going – and today I’m so happy about it,” revealed van Veen, adding: “I could have had a normal 9-to-5 job, but instead I’m standing here.”
The reason van Veen was able to overcome the neurological problems when releasing the dart lies in his confidence in his own strength.
“Winning, building self-confidence – that was the key. I know how hard this disease is, I’m lucky to still be playing darts,” explained the European champion.
Van Veen becomes a World Championship co-favorite
By now, van Veen has not only successfully overcome the disease – alongside big names like Humphries and Littler, he is already considered one of the favorites for the World Championship at Alexandra Palace and thus also a candidate for the next season of the Premier League.
Even after the confident success in the European Championship round of 16, van Veen confidently speculated: “Who knows – maybe a big title is just around the corner.”
If the World Championship title actually follows the coup at the European Championship, van Veen would likely establish himself definitely among the best in the world.
“The future of Dutch darts”
So far, however, the 23-year-old is still waiting for his first victory at the biggest darts tournament of the year.
In his debut in 2024, van Veen lost 2:3 to Man Lok Leung in the first round. A year later, he started the tournament only in the second round but lost 1:3 to Germany’s Ricardo Pietreczko.
After the best year of his career so far, the prospects this season look much more promising.
The portal dartsnews.de recently described van Veen as the figurehead of the young darts scene in the Netherlands: “With Gian van Veen, the new generation has found its face. His rapid rise, combined with impressive maturity and consistency, reminds many of van Gerwen’s early years. Van Veen stands symbolically for the future of Dutch darts: ambitious, talented, and ready to make history.”