Gian van Veen heads into Thursday’s European Championship in Dortmund brimming with confidence, determined to defend the title he won last year. The Dutchman will return to the Westfalenhalle, the scene of his first major individual PDC title, and hopes to take the trophy home for a second consecutive year.
Van Veen made history in 2025 by winning his first major individual PDC title, defeating Luke Humphries 11-10 in a thrilling European Championship final. That victory firmly established him among the world’s elite, and a year later he returns as the defending champion with expectations high. However, Van Veen feels he is finding form at just the right time after an inconsistent start to the season. “The last couple of weeks and months have been going a lot better than at the start of the year,” he told pdc.tv.
The Dutchman ended the European Tour season strongly, reaching the semi-finals in each of his last three appearances. His standout moment came at last weekend’s Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht, where he recorded a stunning 120.24 average over three darts against Sebastian Bialecki – a new European Tour record. “Especially with the 120 average last weekend - even though it’s only six legs, that also gives me a massive confidence boost to know that the work I’ve been putting in is showing on stage,” Van Veen said. He eventually reached the semi-finals in Maastricht, losing 7-5 to Danny Noppert, but remains positive about his final appearance before the European Championship.
The Westfalenhalle holds special memories for Van Veen, who not only won his first major PDC title there last year but also reached his first major semi-final at the venue three years ago. “I think it will be very special to be back in Dortmund after last year,” he said. “Of course it was where I reached my first major semi-final three years ago, so it’s a nice tournament for me.” Van Veen begins his title defence on Thursday evening against Andrew Gilding, the 2023 UK Open champion. A win would set up a second-round meeting with either Luke Woodhouse or Dirk van Duijvenbode.
Van Veen has made no secret of his desire to retain the European title, especially given the trophy’s prominent place in his home. With the championship approaching, the trophy must now be returned, providing extra motivation. “It would mean absolutely everything to retain the title,” he said. “That trophy has had a special place in our house and it’s about to leave our house again, so I would like to have it back, otherwise it will feel empty!”
