"Luke Littler and the rest better watch out": Gian van Veen shines with mammoth 120 average as statement sent to rivals
PDC
The Dutch Darts Championship saw Niels Zonneveld come of age with a first-ranking title on the European Tour, and it was the Dutch that well and truly shone over the weekend.
ADVERTISEMENT
Stephen Bunting too forced his way suddenly into the European Championship Darts last minute in a herculean effort. But perhaps the main talking point is a certain Gian van Veen, who hit a mammoth 120 average despite not winning the title.
Results at a glance - Dutch Darts Championship
Quarter-Finals
| Player 1 | v | Player 2 |
| Danny Noppert | 6-2 | Luke Woodhouse |
| Gian van Veen | 6-3 | Ryan Searle |
| Niels Zonneveld | 6-5 | Wessel Nijman |
| Stephen Bunting | 6-3 | Damon Heta |
Semi-Finals
| Player 1 | v | Player 2 |
| Danny Noppert | 7-5 | Gian van Veen |
| Niels Zonneveld | 7-4 | Stephen Bunting |
Final
ADVERTISEMENT
| Player 1 | v | Player 2 |
| Niels Zonneveld | 8-5 | Danny Noppert |
'Stupendous effort' from Stephen Bunting
Samuel Gill, Head Editor for DartsNews.com lauds Bunting and the rise of the Dutch stars in particular Zonneveld.
Once again the big names decided not to show in Maastricht, but from a Dutch point of view it was like a fever dream. Only one Englishman in the final four and the rest being Dutch showed the real special nature of this weekend for the top stars from Holland.
I was glad to see Niels Zonneveld claim a title; he has been far and away the best Dutchman outside of the leading few (Van Veen, Nijman, MVG) and has been knocking firmly on the door for most of the season.
ADVERTISEMENT
Niels Zonneveld shines.
His World Grand Prix run showed he can do it on the big stage, and I'm glad that, in reality, he managed to show that here and quite soon after too. A word for Stephen Bunting too, who showed the power of turning up and then managing to force his way into Dortmund, a lot on the line in the context of his season. But a stupendous effort, no less, to win through to the semi-finals, where he lost to Zonneveld. And of course that 120 average from Van Veen, special darts.
Luke Littler and co. better watch out
Mats Leering, editor for DartsNieuws.com, marvelled over Niels Zonneveld, but it was Gian van Veen who was given the statement piece.
A fantastic tournament from a Dutch perspective. Three Dutch players reached the semi-finals on home soil, and in the end, Niels Zonneveld managed to claim his very first PDC title.
ADVERTISEMENT
And although you might not necessarily have expected it beforehand, I still wouldn't call it a massive surprise. Zonneveld has been in good form for months and also showed some promising signs at the World Grand Prix recently. He was once again outstanding this weekend. Despite already looking tired after the second semi-final, he still managed to beat Danny Noppert convincingly in the final.
I'm curious to see whether this is Zonneveld's ceiling. Personally, I think it probably is, and that reaching the 28th in the world rankings may be the best he can achieve, perhaps with a few more places gained at most. I find it hard to see him breaking into the top 16, and that has a lot to do with his playing style. But who knows? Maybe he'll surprise us over the coming months. Either way, I genuinely wish him all the best.
A new era for Dutch darts.
Following this defeat, Noppert will have to wait a little longer for his first European Tour title. This was already his fifth final, but once again, he came up short.
Finally, we obviously have to talk about Gian van Veen's incredible match against Sebastian Bialecki. A 120 average! A new European Tour record. And if he had produced just one better scoring visit in that final leg, he might even have broken the world record of 123.40. If this performance is anything to go by and reflects the form Van Veen will carry into the final few months of the season, then Luke Littler and the rest had better watch out!
ADVERTISEMENT
Van Veen steals the show with an average of 120
Pieter Verbeek, editor for DartsNieuws.com, marvelled over Gian van Veen and a great Dutch weekend.
The Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht turned out to be a fantastic weekend of darts. The Dutch players were in excellent form, the standard of play was exceptionally high at times, and the crowd at the MECC was treated to several remarkable performances.
Gian van Veen stole the show with a sensational 120.24 average in his match against Sebastian Bialecki, setting a new record for the highest average ever recorded on the European Tour. Danny Noppert (113.42 in the quarter-finals) and Cristo Reyes (110.26 in the second round) also impressed with averages well above the 110 mark.
Another highlight was the fairytale run of Heine Uuldriks. The relatively unknown Dutchman came through the qualifying event before pulling off a stunning upset against Ricardo Pietreczko in the opening round. However, experienced campaigner Brendan Dolan proved just too strong in round two.
ADVERTISEMENT
Van Veen shone in Maastricht.
No fewer than four Dutch players reached the final session in Maastricht, with three progressing to the semi-finals. The stage appeared to be set for Van Veen to claim his long-awaited maiden European Tour title, but compatriot Noppert ended those hopes in the last four.
On the other side of the draw, Niels Zonneveld battled his way into the final with impressive victories over Mike De Decker, Krzysztof Ratajski, Gerwyn Price, Wessel Nijman and Stephen Bunting.
Read also
In the all-Dutch final, Zonneveld defeated Noppert 8-5 to claim his first PDC ranking title. What made his triumph even more remarkable? All six of his opponents had previously won a European Tour event and/or a major title. Zonneveld certainly didn't have an easy route to his historic victory.
ADVERTISEMENT
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026
- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026