Gian van Veen could potentially face luxury problem in Minehead: ''Don't think the PDC will accept that''

Gian van Veen is one of 11 Dutch competitors at the Players Championship Finals in Minehead this weekend, but the talented youngster is also taking a shot at the World Youth Championship there too.

The preliminaries of the PDC World Youth Championship were held at the end of August. The 21-year-old Van Veen and the 16-year-old English talent Luke Littler managed to qualify for the final. This final is traditionally played between the semi-finals and finals of the Players Championship Finals.

Michael van Gerwen (2011 and 2012) and Berry van Peer (2016) managed to reach the final of the PDC World Youth Championship but never before has a Dutchman become a youth world champion.

Van Veen can follow in the footsteps of the likes of Michael Smith, Dimitri van den Bergh and Luke Humphries. ''It would be a very nice title, especially as the first Dutchman ever. I am ready for it'', says the dart player from Poederoijen to AD Sportwereld.

The European Championship semifinalist could just get very busy Sunday night if he also manages to reach the semifinals at the Players Championship Finals. ''That would be great, wouldn't it? Then I have to see what I do, because that would be long,'' he said of this possibility.

In that case, Van Veen will have to compete for the final of the PDC World Youth Championship immediately after the semifinals of the Players Championship Finals and possibly play the final of the Players Championship Finals a moment later.

''Whether that is doable? I'm afraid not. I might have to make a choice then and it would be a quick one. Skipping the World Championship final would then be an option, but I don't think the PDC will accept that. Anyway, those are luxury problems. Making the final of the Players Championship Finals will be quite a task so I don't assume that. But it's always possible,'' Van Veen said.