"Came out of the gents’ toilet and walked straight into a wall" - Incredible story of bizarre Gian van Veen injury during German Darts Grand Prix

Gian van Veen capped off an impressive run on the European Tour with a spot in the final of the German Darts Grand Prix, though he ultimately had to settle for runner-up after falling to Michael van Gerwen. The Dutchman delivered a strong performance in the quarter-finals, defeating Ross Smith 6-3 with an impressive average of 97.5 and a clinical finishing rate - hitting six of his eight doubles. However, that match also came with an unexpected twist, as Van Veen appeared to suffer a bizarre injury.

Reflecting on the tournament afterward, Van Veen remained grounded: “I’ve had a phenomenal three days. Neither of us played our best game in the final. I played well on my own legs, but on Michael’s throw I didn’t perform, and he was the deserved winner."

“I’m a bit gutted to lose, but I’m really happy with second place," Van Veen added. "And hopefully my first European Tour title is coming soon!”

Van Veen came out firing in the quarter-final, racing to a commanding 4-0 lead. Smith managed to claw his way back to 4-2, helped in part by signs that Van Veen was struggling with his right arm. Between legs, he was seen frequently rubbing it - something that didn’t go unnoticed by the commentary team.

Dan Dawson, commentating for PDC TV, provided some insight during the broadcast: “About halfway through the previous game, up in the players’ room, Gian came out of the gents’ toilet and walked straight into a wall. There’s a sharp, pointy bit on the wall that really did leave its mark on him. He said at the time, ‘Don’t worry, it felt worse than it is. I’m fine.’ But now I think he might be feeling it.”

His co-commentator added: “Gian is throwing his arm around a lot as he walks back from the board. It looks a bit uncomfortable. He was cruising at 4-0. Maybe he has picked up an injury because he keeps rubbing it after every visit.”

Despite the apparent discomfort, the injury didn’t seem to hold Van Veen back too much. He overcame Smith and then put in a sensational display in the semi-finals, averaging over 110 in a 7-4 win over Luke Littler.