Gian van Veen heads to the Flanders Darts Trophy in Antwerp with growing confidence, but the Dutchman has admitted he is "a bit worried" about Dimitri Van den Bergh's Tour Card. The 24-year-old, who is still chasing his first title of 2026, told Het Nieuwsblad that Van den Bergh's absence from the oche is a concern. "I am a bit worried about Dimitri Van den Bergh's Tour Card, because he hasn't thrown for several months now," Van Veen said. "I've always had good contact with him… I'm curious to see how he gets on this autumn. But look at Kim Huybrechts: he's back after a lean spell. So I wouldn't panic too quickly."
Van Veen arrives at Antwerp Expo almost on home turf, with the venue just under an hour's drive from his hometown of Poederoijen. With Luke Littler and Luke Humphries absent, the world number three is among the leading contenders for the title. "I've been throwing well in recent weeks. The level keeps improving. I also always enjoy coming to Belgium to play. Antwerp is close for me — just under an hour's drive — and the Belgian fans are always great to play in front of. The venues are top and everything is always well organised," he said.
Despite a gruelling first half of the season, Van Veen remains satisfied with his form. He rated his year so far as "a 7 out of 10", citing semi-finals at the World Masters and World Matchplay, and a final at the World Cup with Michael. "The European Tour is also starting to click. The floor has been less, but after finishing the Premier League I'm trying to put that right gradually." He also revealed he skipped several Players Championship events to manage his schedule after playing sixteen consecutive weeks in the Premier League, and dealt with kidney stones. "I had to, otherwise I would have run myself into the ground. I also went to Australia and New Zealand for the World Series. It's all about planning in a season like this."
Twelve months ago Van Veen hovered around 20th in the world rankings, but his World Championship final propelled him to number three on the PDC Order of Merit. "Nine months on it still feels surreal to have played that World Championship final. There's a lot more that comes with it now: everyone expects you to go deep and/or win tournaments. But a year ago I was still 20th on the world rankings. It's not like I'm that much better now as world number three. So there are tough moments too, but you learn from those as well."
Van Veen also dismissed any notion of playing the villain. "It's just not in me to play the 'bad guy'," he laughed. "I aim to be approachable and keep my feet on the ground. I'm proud of that. I'm not the confrontational type, so arguing isn't for me. Certainly not on stage. I'd rather let my performances do the talking. Shouting in interviews about how many titles you're going to win... No. That can backfire. For the record: I am confident. But I won't be shouting it so everyone hears."
Looking at Belgian darts, Van Veen believes the future is bright despite current struggles. "It will be 100 percent fine for the Belgians," he said. "Look at how good Mike De Decker was two years ago. That level hasn't vanished; he just took a mental hit after that switch of darts. It's hard to bounce back from that, especially when 30 or 40 players are right behind you to take your spot." He also had advice for young players: "There's plenty of talent with you as well, right? My best advice for those young lads is: enjoy what you do. At such a young age, there shouldn't be too much pressure from yourself, parents, or the outside world. You see what that can trigger, because you often see young players develop dartitis. Everyone wants to match the 19-year-old Luke Littler, but that's not going to happen. So: enjoy it. Because the more fun you have, the better it will go."
