“My darts, my shirt, my trousers: everything’s in there” – Van Veen may have to improvise in New Zealand due to baggage problems
PDC
Gian van Veen’s build-up to the New Zealand Darts Masters is not going to plan. The Dutchman has made it to the other side of the world, but his most important luggage is missing. His suitcase was left behind in Paris and it contains, among other things, his own darts and match attire.
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Van Veen traveled early to New Zealand together with his girlfriend Kyana. The Dutchman wanted enough time to recover from the long journey and adjust to the time difference. The early arrival also offered the chance to see a bit of New Zealand before the World Series event.
“There’s a ten-hour time difference, so you want to get used to it a little. You don’t want to be on stage on Friday with a sleepy head,” Van Veen explained to AD.nl. “You don’t come here that often, so it’s nice to see something of the country as well.”
The trip itself took more than thirty hours and went via Brussels, Paris, Doha, and Adelaide to Auckland. Van Veen and his girlfriend arrived on Sunday evening as scheduled, but their suitcases didn’t complete the full journey. According to the latest information, the luggage is still in Paris. “But yeah, if your suitcase doesn’t show up…”
I am already in Auckland, but our bags are still at Paris CDG… I will need them before this weekend’s World Series tournament. Is there anyone who can help me get them here ASAP? @qrsupport
— Gian van Veen (@GVV180) August 10, 2026
Van Veen awaits clarity
With the New Zealand Darts Masters starting on Friday, time is running short. Van Veen is trying to get clarity from airline Qatar Airways on when his luggage will finally arrive in New Zealand.
“I’ve been busy in the live chat with Qatar Airways for several hours to make sure the suitcases get here as soon as possible. We’ve now been told they should be here on Thursday evening. But two days ago they said we should already have the suitcases by now, and that didn’t happen either. We’ll have to wait and see.”
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The situation is especially annoying for Van Veen because the suitcase doesn’t just contain his regular clothes. Almost everything he needs during the tournament is still in his luggage. “My darts, my shirt, my trousers: everything is in there.”
Not having his darts in his hand luggage wasn’t a deliberate risk. Players aren’t allowed to take darts in their carry-on and therefore depend on checked baggage when flying.
Van Veen has experienced a similar situation once before, but that time the issues arose on the return trip to the Netherlands. The impact was therefore much smaller. “It’s happened to me once before, but that was on the way back to the Netherlands, so it wasn’t such a big deal.”
Spare darts not exactly the same
For regular clothing, Van Veen has found a temporary solution by shopping in Auckland. Replacing his match darts is proving much more complicated.
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The Dutchman visited a local darts shop to arrange replacement gear. He did find darts he can train with for now, but his usual setup couldn’t be fully replicated.
“We went to a dart shop here for darts, but I have a special point on my darts that isn’t sold here,” said Van Veen. “So I do have darts I can throw with now, but they’re not the same.”
🇳🇿 Gian van Veen is in Nieuw-Zeeland voor de World Series, maar z’n dartpijlen? Die liggen nog in Parijs…
— Tim Hartman (@TimHartman09) August 11, 2026
💬 ‘We zijn hier naar een dartshop geweest, maar ik heb een speciale punt op mijn pijlen die hier niet verkocht wordt’ 👇 https://t.co/Sxp9NkeONn
His match shirt may also require improvisation. The PDC still has one of Van Veen’s shirts in England and will bring it to New Zealand. That at least provides a solution for his first match, but Van Veen naturally hopes to be in the tournament for longer than one day.
“The PDC has one of my shirts in England, they’re bringing it. But yeah: I have a media day on Thursday and I also hope to play on Saturday after Friday. Then you hope for more than one shirt. I might have to look for some smart polos I can throw in.”
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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.
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