“I’m a little worried about his Tour Card” - Gian van Veen voices concern over Dimitri Van den Bergh

Gian van Veen is increasingly finding his rhythm after a gruelling first half of the season. The 24-year-old Dutchman is still chasing his first title of 2026, but heads to the Flanders Darts Trophy in Antwerp with confidence. With the likes of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries absent, the world number three is among the leading contenders for the title.

For Van Veen, playing at Antwerp Expo is almost a home fixture. It is a short trip from his hometown of Poederoijen, and he has good memories of the Belgian darting crowd.

“I’ve been throwing well in recent weeks. The level keeps improving. I also always enjoy coming to Belgium to play. Antwerp is close for me — just under an hour’s drive — and the Belgian fans are always great to play in front of. The venues are top and everything is always well organised,” he told Het Nieuwsblad.

A title would do Van Veen the world of good. After his major breakthrough and World Championship final, expectations have risen sharply, yet this calendar year has not yielded a tournament win so far. He remains reasonably satisfied with his recent months.

“I’d give my year so far a 7 out of 10,” said Van Veen. “At the majors it has been good so far, with semi-finals at the World Masters and World Matchplay. And of course the final at the World Cup with Michael. The European Tour is also starting to click. The floor has been less, but after finishing the Premier League I’m trying to put that right gradually.”

Van Veen played his first Premier League season this year. For sixteen consecutive weeks he was on stage every Thursday night, while other PDC events continued in between. He also dealt with kidney stones. The Dutchman therefore chose to manage his schedule and skipped several Players Championship events.

“There’s more to it than just winning titles. Of course expectations for me are very high and I fully understand that. That’s what I’ll be judged on in the end, fine. I do that myself too. But I’m quite happy with my consistently high level, especially at TV events. I also skipped part of the floor events because of the Premier League. I had to, otherwise I would have run myself into the ground. I also went to Australia and New Zealand for the World Series. It’s all about planning in a season like this.”

He notices every day how much his status has changed in a year. Twelve months ago he hovered around 20th in the world rankings, but has since climbed to number three. His World Championship final naturally played a big part.

“Nine months on it still feels surreal to have played that World Championship final. There’s a lot more that comes with it now: everyone expects you to go deep and/or win tournaments. But a year ago I was still 20th on the world rankings. It’s not like I’m that much better now as world number three. So there are tough moments too, but you learn from those as well.”

Despite his rapid rise, Van Veen is trying not to change his demeanour. Where some top players project their confidence or regularly spark fireworks on and off stage, that role does not fit his character.

“It’s just not in me to play the ‘bad guy’,” he laughed. “I aim to be approachable and keep my feet on the ground. I’m proud of that. I’m not the confrontational type, so arguing isn’t for me. Certainly not on stage. I’d rather let my performances do the talking. Shouting in interviews about how many titles you’re going to win... No. That can backfire. For the record: I am confident. But I won’t be shouting it so everyone hears.”

Van Veen also wants to remain the same person towards supporters as he was before his breakthrough. The extra attention has made him more conscious of his visibility away from the oche.

“I try to keep both feet on the ground. And stay myself. It would be a shame if I told fans I didn’t feel like a photo or autograph now. That’s why I’ve been more active on social media, giving a behind-the-scenes look at what I’m doing. As a little kid I would have loved to watch something like that. It takes some getting used to, but I’m getting better at it. It’s not like I need twenty takes for one video.”

At the same time, Van Veen sees how fierce competition on the PDC circuit has become. The Netherlands boasts a deep pool at the top level, with the likes of Michael van Gerwen, Danny Noppert, Wessel Nijman, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Jermaine Wattimena, and Niels Zonneveld.

For Belgium, things are currently much tougher. Mike De Decker is trying to rediscover his best form, while Dimitri Van den Bergh’s situation is raising growing concern. Van Veen, however, does not believe Belgian darts is in structural trouble.

“It will be 100 percent fine for the Belgians,” he says. “Look at how good Mike De Decker was two years ago. That level hasn’t vanished; he just took a mental hit after that switch of darts. It’s hard to bounce back from that, especially when 30 or 40 players are right behind you to take your spot.”

Van Veen is less assured about Van den Bergh. “I am a bit worried about Dimitri Van den Bergh’s Tour Card, because he hasn’t thrown for several months now. I’ve always had good contact with him… I’m curious to see how he gets on this autumn. But look at Kim Huybrechts: he’s back after a lean spell. So I wouldn’t panic too quickly.”

Van Veen also sees enough talent to fuel new Belgian success in the coming years. He only warns young players not to fixate on the exceptional example of Luke Littler.

“There’s plenty of talent with you as well, right? My best advice for those young lads is: enjoy what you do. At such a young age, there shouldn’t be too much pressure from yourself, parents, or the outside world. You see what that can trigger, because you often see young players develop dartitis. Everyone wants to match the 19-year-old Luke Littler, but that’s not going to happen. So: enjoy it. Because the more fun you have, the better it will go.”