“If I compare myself to Luke Littler it will be a very disappointing year” – Gian van Veen moves on after World Darts Championship final thrashing

Gian van Veen’s 2026 season began with a win in Bahrain, but his first press conference of the new campaign was shaped just as much by what happened at Alexandra Palace as by his 6-2 victory over Man Lok Leung at the Bahrain Darts Masters.

Less than two weeks after losing the World Championship final 7-1 to Luke Littler, Van Veen spoke with unusual openness about rust, reflection, travel, pressure, and why he refuses to measure himself against a player he described as being “from a different planet”.

Van Veen admitted his Bahrain opener felt far from sharp. “Not the first time, but it felt like the second time. Since the Worlds final, the day after I had an exhibition and then afterwards I went on holiday. I probably practised for about 30 minutes afterwards. So it felt a bit rusty, but it’s always good to be back on stage and even though it was a bit rusty, you’re still happy with the win.”

That rust showed early against Man Lok Leung, who led 2-1 before missed doubles began to cost him. Van Veen broke for the first time at 3-2 and then reeled off four straight legs to close out a 6-2 win, setting up a quarter-final meeting with Danny Noppert.

He felt the timing of his return made the performance understandable. “Being here in Bahrain is already fantastic, but of course my eyes are already on what’s coming next.”

Asked how much he has actually taken in from his World Championship run, Van Veen was clear that it still feels unreal. “Not really, to be honest. I’ve been back home for about two days and then afterwards, as I said, straight to a holiday. So I just enjoyed it. I enjoyed everything that came up to me. But of course Alexandra Palace was one hell of a ride and I enjoyed every single moment of it.”

He thinks reality will only really land later. “I think once I get back home, back into the Player Championship, European Tours, get back into the full rhythm, that’s when it will start to sink in.”

He has not put himself through the entire final again. “Not the full match. I watched a couple of highlights that were posted on the PDC YouTube channel from all the games, but not the full matches. Those are long matches and there wasn’t too much time.”

What he does know is that he learned from it. “I know what I need to do better next year.”

Looking back, he admitted the closing days of the Worlds were overwhelming. “I just enjoyed it, especially the quarter-final, semi-final, final. It was three hectic days. Looking back at it, it was maybe a bit too hectic for myself, but it’s another learning experience.”

Van Veen did not hide how one-sided the final felt. “Luke Littler is a fantastic player. He’s probably from a different planet. He’s leagues above the others.”

He accepted his own missed opportunity. “I know I missed one to go two up in sets. Maybe it would have been a different game, but I also acknowledge that Luke Littler is a fantastic player.”

He did not torture himself with regret. “As soon as he hit the double 15 to win a world title, I was like, okay, he was the player today. That’s it.”

And when asked whether he sees the next few months as his chance to mirror Littler’s surge after his own first final, Van Veen shut the comparison down. “I don’t compare myself to Luke Littler. If I do, it’ll be a very disappointing year.”

Instead, he is focused on enjoying what comes. “I’m just playing my own game and enjoying all the tournaments I get to play in this year, and hopefully it’s going to be a great year.”

Despite being world number three, Van Veen still feels like he is walking into a new world. “If I’m speaking truly from my heart, I still feel like a bit of an outsider.”

At the same time, he knows what he has earned. “I know what I’m capable of. I know what I’ve shown in 2025 and I know I’m part of the elite group of darts players at the moment.”

What still feels strange is how he is now presented. “It just feels weird being announced as second-to-last or third-to-last player on stage.”

He finds it surreal. “It’s still very new to me, but I’m enjoying it so much. And yeah, I know I belong here.”

He does not feel radically changed by success. “I just feel the same guy I was 12 months ago.”

The next milestone is his Premier League debut. “The Premier League is of course a dream coming true, playing in that tournament, and I’m very much looking forward to it.”

He already knows it will affect his schedule. “I’ve got a meeting planned with my management for next week, after Saudi Arabia and I get back home, to see what we’re going to play and what we’re not going to play.”

He was blunt about workload. “I can’t play all 34 Player Championships, of course.”

Especially not with Premier League nights every week. “Especially during the Premier League, I’m not going to play every ProTour.”

But he plans to enjoy it rather than fear it. “I’m just going to enjoy it. I’m going to enjoy every tournament I play in.”

Unlike many players, Van Veen does not dread travel. “Me being an aviation enthusiast, I don’t mind travelling.”

He actually relishes it. “I love being on the plane, I love being in airports.”

For him, airports are entertainment. “I look out the window, I see all the aircraft, all the different airlines, and I get excited because that’s who I am.”

He thinks it will help him. “All the different cities we go to, all the hours we spend in the airport, I don’t mind it.”

But he still values home. “Of course I love being home with my girlfriend, and I’ve got a beautiful dog back at home, so I love spending time with him as well.”

Van Veen believes weekly battles against the elite will shape his future. “Even when I’m playing them now I feel a little bit nervous of course because of the players they are.”

But repetition will harden him. “I’m going to play them week in, week out. I’m going to get so much more experience in all those games and I think that’s going to benefit my game for the rest of my career.”

He sees short formats as an opportunity. “Shorter distance, you’ve always got a chance.”

But he is realistic too. “In leg format he’s always going to be tough to beat.”

Van Veen even laughed about cutting himself in finals. “It’s happened twice and it’s happened twice in the final. So if it happens in the final of a major, I hope it happens every time, because that means I’ll get to the final.”

He blamed personality, not bad luck. “My family and my friends will say I’m a bit clumsy.”

And he is not obsessed with fixing it. “I don’t look back at it too much and think, ‘Oh, maybe I should do this different next time.’ It happens.”

He did manage a short break after the Worlds. “I enjoyed a couple of days in the sun in Dubai last week with my girlfriend.”

But darts never really leaves him. “As much as I’m a darts player, I’m also a darts fan. Even though I was laying in the sun, I was already looking on Darts Connect, following Q-School.”

He wanted to know what his future looked like. “Who was going to be on the ProTour next year with me?”

His schedule barely paused after the Worlds. “On Saturday I lost the final. Sunday afternoon I flew to Cologne and I played an exhibition there on Sunday evening.”

It was not planned. “It wasn’t planned. I probably heard it when I beat Gary Anderson in the semi-final.”

Despite the disappointment, he went. “I was gutted about that, but it’s part of the job, and exhibitions are part of the job.”

He still enjoyed it. “I enjoyed that night, but it was a very hectic day.”

In Bahrain, Van Veen looked rusty early, but found his way through. In the press room, he sounded reflective, grounded, and quietly confident. He is not chasing Luke Littler’s shadow. “I don’t compare myself to Luke Littler.”

He is building his own year, on his own terms, starting with a win, a quarter-final against Danny Noppert, and a season where, as he put it simply, “this is my dream and my dream is coming true right now.”