"I struggled with dartitis about three and a half years ago and now here we are": Gian van Veen completes emotional turnaround to reach World final

Gian van Veen admitted he was still “pinching himself” after reaching the PDC World Darts Championship final, following an extraordinary semi-final victory over childhood hero Gary Anderson at Alexandra Palace.

The 23-year-old Dutchman produced one of the matches of the tournament to defeat Anderson in a classic encounter that featured relentless scoring, huge checkouts, including both players hitting 170s, and sustained pressure from a partisan crowd.

“It feels amazing, of course,” van Veen said. “Being a child, I wasn’t even dreaming about getting to a final. My first ever dream was just to be in the World Championship. But here we are, and it feels amazing. I’ve told everyone the past couple of days that I’m still pinching myself, and I won’t stop pinching myself.”

Van Veen came from a set down to win four on the spin and never hid how much he enjoyed every moment of the contest — even as the crowd largely backed Anderson. “I enjoyed every single second of it,” he said. “Gary played phenomenal today, especially in the fifth set when he started with a 10-dart leg and then hit a 170. But I still managed to get that set, and it was a fantastic game.

“Gary played so well, and when the crowd got involved I did get a bit frustrated. But I’m so relieved that I still got the job done in the end, even with the crowd against me. It’s fair play, because everyone knows I’m a Gary Anderson fan, so if they want Gary to win, I can’t blame them.”

Van Veen revealed that even during the match he found himself watching Anderson with admiration — something he quickly realised he had to curb. “I was standing behind him and it felt like he was hitting his 40th maximum. He was hitting so many triples and I was just enjoying watching him play. You shouldn’t be doing that in a World Championship semi-final, but that’s what I’m like. I enjoy playing darts, but I also enjoy watching the legends of the game.

“As soon as I realised I shouldn’t be doing that, I got my head down and played well, but yeah, I was really enjoying myself on that stage.”

One of the key moments in the match came when van Veen missed chances at double eight after a treble 17 left 67, allowing Anderson to take a crucial set.

“I was really frustrated — with the crowd and with myself for letting it bother me,” he admitted. “I think it was the set where it could have been 5–2 instead of 4–3.

“But then in the next set I hit a 59 checkout to go 5–3 up, and I said to myself, ‘OK, you can do it even when the crowd’s against you.’ That gave me such a good feeling for the rest of the game, especially the last set.”

He added that overcoming that moment gave him lasting confidence.

“I knew in my head that even if the crowd’s against you, I’m still going to hit those doubles. It was very difficult, but it made me feel really good.”

Statistically, van Veen’s tournament has been outstanding, averaging over 102 and producing three 170 finishes.

“I’m very confident,” he said. “I’m playing so well this tournament. I think my lowest average has been around 97 or 98, so I’m feeling really good on that stage, especially in these formats.

“Today was a very long game, but I still averaged 103 and my checkout percentage is really good. That gives me massive confidence going into tomorrow.”

He revealed that during the semi-final he was aware just how special the contest had become.

“After four or five sets I looked at the screen and saw we were both averaging 105. It felt like it as well. We both scored well, took our chances, and I knew it was a belter of a game.”

Awaiting van Veen in the final is Luke Littler, whom he knows well from the Development Tour and ProTour. He expects an intense battle over a potential 13 sets. "It’s going to be very tough,” van Veen said. “He’s going to put you under pressure from set one. If I can keep up with his scoring — and my checkout percentage has been really good all year, hopefully I can take my chances. He’s probably the better scorer than I am, so I just need to keep up, take my chances, and then I’ve got a chance.”

Van Veen reflected on their 2023 World Youth Championship final, where Littler announced himself on the global stage. “Going into that match I was actually favoured by the bookmakers, which sounds crazy now,” he said. “After that match I said to myself, ‘OK, now the whole world knows what Luke Littler is about.’ I knew what he was capable of, and he showed it.”

Van Veen confirmed he has become the new Dutch number one but insisted it hasn’t distracted him.

“It’s only been 24 hours and today was all about this game,” he said. “I didn’t look at my phone much or read social media. As long as I’m still in the tournament, my focus is on the next game.”

He believes a world title would have huge significance back home.

“For myself it would mean the absolute world, but also for the Netherlands. Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld have been world champions, but it’s been a few years. Hopefully it would inspire young people to start playing darts.”

Perhaps most remarkably, van Veen’s run comes just a few years after battling dartitis. “I struggled with dartitis about three and a half years ago,” he said. “And now here we are in the World Championship final. It’s something I’ll probably be pinching myself about for weeks.

“But the job’s still not done. I came here with one goal, to win the World Championship, and that’s still my goal.”

He offered heartfelt advice to players facing similar struggles. “As long as you enjoy playing darts, it doesn’t matter if you’re averaging 50 or 90, winning or losing. Just enjoy playing darts. There’s pressure and stress, but if you enjoy it, everything will be OK.”

Van Veen revealed Anderson’s words after the match meant a lot “He said to me, ‘Go and win it now,’” van Veen said. “He felt it was a fantastic game and wanted me to go on and win it.”

After beating Luke Humphries and Gary Anderson back-to-back, van Veen feels he has earned his place on the biggest stage. “If I manage to win the title tomorrow, I don’t think anyone would say it’s undeserved,” he said. “Beating players like that when they’re playing well shows me that I’m capable even with all the pressure.”