“My performances haven’t really been up to the standard I was hoping for” – Gian van Veen self-critical despite strong Premier League start

The past few weeks have revolved around travelling, playing and adapting for Gian van Veen. In a short space of time, the young Dutchman has experienced the demanding schedule of the PDC tour, featuring appearances in the World Series, Pro Tour events, the European Tour and especially the Premier League Darts.

For a player who has only recently broken through to the very top level of the circuit, it represents an intense calendar.

Even so, Van Veen looks back on that period with a positive feeling, although he believes his level has not yet been consistent enough.

“Yeah, that’s true. It’s been a lot busier than I was expecting, but it’s been very good,” he says in conversation with Tungsten Tales. “I think my performances haven’t really been up to the standard I was hoping for.”

The Dutchman sets high standards for himself. In particular, he feels his scoring power still needs to become more consistent.

“I haven’t had enough 100 plus averages,” Van Veen admitted. “But as long as I get the wins, that’s what matters.”

The fact that he can still win matches without producing his very best darts is something he views as an important sign of development. He pointed to his performance in the Premier League in Glasgow as an example.

“I saw it last Thursday in Glasgow as well. Scoring-wise I wasn’t really up there, but my finishing kept me in the game.”

According to Van Veen, this shows his game now has multiple dimensions.

“For me, that shows I can do it both ways. And as soon as both of them click, I’m very dangerous.”

Although Van Veen now appears regularly on the biggest stages, the European Tour remains a key part of his schedule. He sees those events as the foundation for further development.

“Yeah, very much so,” he said. “The European Tour is very important for every player because that’s where you gain experience between the majors.”

The tournaments also play an important role in the calendar between the sport’s biggest events.

“Sometimes there can be a couple of months between majors, and then you have so many European Tours in between,” Van Veen explained. “So these tournaments are very important. They’re also very good for the rankings.”

For Van Veen, the European Tour also carries an extra layer of motivation. Last year, he won the European Championship, something he is determined to defend.

“And especially after winning the European Championship last year, I want to be back there and defend my title,” he said. “That makes the European Tours even more important.”

The interview took place during the first European Tour event held in Krakow, Poland. For Van Veen, it was his first time competing at a European Tour event in the country, and the crowd immediately made an impression.

“They were amazing tonight,” he said. “Even the little kid in front of me had made a drawing of me. I’d never seen that before.”

According to Van Veen, it is clear that darts is rapidly growing in popularity in Poland, which he sees as a major reason why the PDC decided to bring a European Tour event to the country.

“The last couple of years, there have been World Series events here, and the PDC noticed they were sold out in hours, even minutes,” he said. “The crowd is fantastic.”

The arena was once again completely full. “Tonight was sold out as well, I think around three and a half to four thousand people,” Van Veen said. “It’s been a fantastic crowd.”

For Van Veen, it therefore feels like a logical next step for the organisation. “I think it’s a really good step from the PDC to bring European Tour events to Poland.”