"I get recognized more often, people approach me and want a photo" - Van Veen living in the fast lane after World Championship breakthrough
PDCSaturday, 28 February 2026 at 06:00
Life looks completely different for Gian van Veen since his World Championship breakthrough. Where he was previously mostly found in Andel, the 23-year-old darter now spends more time in airports and foreign hotels than at home with his girlfriend Kyana Frauenfelder and dog Teddy.
The lost World Championship final against Luke Littler marked the start of a new chapter. Since then, Van Veen has become not only the Dutch number one, but also world number three. That status has not gone unnoticed.
“I get recognized more often, people approach me and want a photo. It’s nice to get recognition for your good performances. And of course everyone is positive because you’re doing well,” Van Veen told De Telegraaf.
The attention comes with success, but it also requires adjustment. The schedule is busy, the travel intense. It forces him to be more mindful with his planning. For instance, he decided to skip the Players Championships this week to be fresh for the Premier League in Belfast.
“You have to listen to your body and pick up on signals when you notice you’re not really up for it. You obviously want to do well your first time in the Premier League. It’s something you might not experience often again, so you want to have full focus on it.”
His results justify those choices. After the World Championship final came runner-up finishes at the Bahrain Darts Masters, two Premier League nights and the first Euro Tour event of the season. He also reached the semi-finals of the World Masters. It confirms that his World Championship run was no fluke.
The PDC is now prominently profiling him as one of the new faces of the sport. It also means he is rarely at home in the house he recently bought with Frauenfelder in Andel.
When he is there, he makes a point of enjoying the peace and quiet. “Because I don’t see much of that anymore either. That really helps me recharge,” he says, referring to dog Teddy. Time with his girlfriend is also scarce, although Frauenfelder herself is making strides in the darts world as well.
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- Any IDeaS.....richieburnettrocks28-02-2026
- I deserve it I am the greatest I am the people's champion I believe I will win the Premier League because I believe I am the best because honestly I am the people's champion and I honestly made the fans come tonight because I am honestly the greatest and I, I, I, I, I, I, I, Oh shut up you pathetic pandering hideously ugly fat waste of space! Fatty Bunting should be more sincere and humbly accept he needed that instead of I this and I that.richieburnettrocks28-02-2026
- Wright's wife DEMANDS he continues so IT can rook every last penny from him. Commentary beckons.richieburnettrocks28-02-2026
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- Hi, can someone explain why the Players Championship takes place behind closed doors? I've been watching the big championships on and off for decades, but only just started taking a keener interest in the game, and this strange looking competition is a bit of a head scratcher to me at the moment.MrMarkWatsonnonotthatone25-02-2026
- Not Noppy. Get Beau in.medinabello25-02-2026
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- what a load of crocmedinabello19-02-2026
- So,it's a rubbish league,waste of time. Just put 8000 people in a building every Thursday,get them all drunk,and wonder why it's a complete joke. And forget every other player apart from 8. It's a ridiculous,inane,and needless so called competition.rick6718-02-2026
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