"Who knows? Keep an eye on the socials": Gian van Veen teases another picture in bed with World Youth trophy as trend begins

Gian van Veen etched his name into the record books on Sunday in Minehead by winning the PDC World Youth Championship for the second consecutive year.

The 23-year-old Dutchman defeated Beau Greaves 6-3 in the final, becoming only the second player ever to successfully defend a youth world title, following Dimitri Van den Bergh. “And he also had a fantastic career after that, so this bodes very well,” Van Veen said with a smile to Viaplay, proudly holding the trophy.

Van Veen struggled to contain his excitement even before the post-match interview. “Look at this,” he said to Viaplay, lifting the trophy with a grin. “Beautiful, isn’t it? Feels amazing.” The trophy held an extra layer of meaning for the Dutchman. “My name was still on it from last year, so now I get to be there again.”

Van Veen also achieved another milestone: he is the first player to reach three consecutive World Youth finals. “That’s true,” he said soberly. “Next year I have a chance to make it four. That would be something special, but we’ll see.” For now, his focus was singular: winning. “There was only one thing at stake today—the cup and the title.”

The Dutchman started the match strongly but admitted to a mid-game slump. “My first arrow was fine, but after that I kept falling short and had several turns without hitting a triple. I gave her too much space.” Greaves capitalised on the opportunity and could have leveled at 4-4 in the eighth leg. “That’s when I thought, ‘Oh, now it’s going to get really tough.’ Luckily, she missed, and I was able to finish it off immediately.”

The crowd also played a role. “You know in advance that the audience isn’t going to be on your side, so you can’t give her too many chances. That’s always in the back of your mind.”

The defining moment came with a 118 checkout on double 19, which Van Veen relished. “That’s always satisfying, isn’t it? No fuss with match darts, no audience pressure. Done in one.”

Last year, Van Veen had to hand in the trophy immediately and received a bowl instead. This year, he hopes to keep it a little longer. “I’m afraid I’ll have to turn it in again soon… then you get another bowl,” he joked. “At least this one is lighter than the European Championship trophy from a few weeks ago.” When asked if there would be another social media post of him in bed with the cup, he laughed: “Who knows? Keep an eye on the socials.”