VAN VEEN SHUNS SPOTLIGHT AFTER EUROPEAN TITLE WIN

GIAN VAN VEEN insists he’s happy to stay out of the spotlight after winning his first PDC major title at the European Championship in Dortmund.

‘The Giant’ stunned world No. 1 Luke Humphries 11-10 in the final, having already beaten four-time champ Michael van Gerwen 11-9 in the semis last month.

World No. 7 Van Veen is enjoying a breakout campaign after capturing his first ProTour crown earlier this year at the Players Championship Six.

Despite his success, Van Veen admits he’s more than happy for the attention to stay on Humphries and teenage sensation Luke Littler.

He said: “I know Luke [Humphries] had some darts for the match.

“He missed one to win it 11-10. Luckily for me, it was very nerve-wracking, of course — my first ever final on TV. To win it was amazing.

“Darts is in a very good place at the moment, especially with both Lukes playing phenomenally.

“It’s very difficult to pick up a title when they are playing—but luckily, I did it.

“I like to be a bit in the shadows, in the background. Of course, what Luke Littler is doing is amazing, not just for himself but for other players.

“The publicity he’s getting is crazy because of what he’s done in the past 18–24 months. As long as he shines, that’s fine by me.”

Dutch thrower Van Veen believes the current crop of young talent has made darts more exciting than ever.

He added: “You can see it now with Luke and Luke dominating—you’ve got one at 30, the other just 18. I won a title at only 23.

“Darts is in a very good place. Especially in Scotland, there are some very talented youth players from about 14 or 15 years old coming through, thanks to what Luke Littler is doing.

“It’s perfect for the sport.”

Van Veen is aiming to win his FIRST World Championship match in December, having lost in the opening round in 2023 and the second-round last year at Ally Pally.

He continued: “To put it lightly, it hasn’t been my best event so far. I played it twice and never won a game at Ally Pally.

“But now I’m world number seven, so there’s going to be some pressure.

“I think I’m in the best form I’ve ever been, so hopefully I can do some damage to the other players, and hopefully to Luke and Luke as well, and give them a challenge.”

Van Veen returns to action this Saturday at the Grand Slam and will take on women’s World Matchplay champ Lisa Ashton.

Image by Taylor Lanning.