2024 has been a breakout year for Dutch star Gian Van Veen and he shows no signs of letting up as we approach the World Darts Championship.
The 22-year-old has proved he can throw with the big boys in the PDC Tour with outstanding wins against seeded players.
Known for his high scoring and frequent maximum hitting, he’s become one of the most exciting players in the world.
Ahead of his second appearance at Alexandra Palace, here’s everything you need to know about the 22-year-old.
Who is Gian Van Veen?
Gian Van Veen is a Dutch star who broke into the PDC Tour in 2023 by winning a two-year PDC Tour Card by finishing 9th on the European Q-School Order of Merit.
Since then, the star has climbed the rankings with excellent performances in Pro Tour events and in major tournaments.
Van Veen reached his first semi-final of a major tournament at the European Championship in 2023, defeating Michael van Gerwen, Daryl Gurney, and Damon Heta.
The star, nicknamed The Giant due to his six-foot frame, lost 11-9 to James Wade in the final four.
The 22-year-old made his World Championship debut at the 2024 event, losing in the first round to Man Lok Leung.
Van Veen’s breakout tournament came during the 2024 Grand Slam of Darts. The Dutchman topped his ‘Group of Death’ featuring Stephen Bunting, Wessel Nijman, and Josh Rock winning all three games and dropping just seven legs.
World Youth Champion
Despite competing with the big hitters on the PDC Tour, Van Veen is still eligible to play youth darts and even won the event in 2024.
He defeated fellow Dutchman Jurjen van der Velde 6–5 to win his first World Youth Championship after losing in the previous year’s final to Luke Littler.
Van Veen went viral after consoling van der Velde after winning a last-leg decider in the final. His post-match interview was a classy response to a difficult situation.
Surprisingly, Van Veen’s win marked the first time a Dutch player had ever won the World Youth Championship, with van Gerwen only previously achieving two runner-up spots.
Has Gian Van Veen ever hit a 9-darter?
The Dutchman has hit one recorded 9-darter in his short career performing the perfect leg against Jermaine Wattimena in the World Matchplay qualifiers in 2023.
Van Veen produced perfection the traditional way by hitting two 180s, treble 20, treble 19, and double 12. Surprisingly, Van Veen failed to qualify for the World Matchplay after hitting the perfect leg.
The Giant returned to the World Matchplay in 2024, however, and reached the last 32 of the Blackpool event.
Gian Van Veen’s best tournament performances
Van Veen is yet to claim his maiden PDC event, but he has come close in numerous events around the world.
This year alone, Van Veen the semi-final of the Dutch Darts Masters, Players Championship 1, and 8 as he stamped a marker down on the PDC Tour and cracked the top 32.
| Gian Van Veen stats | |
| Best TV performance | Semi-final – European Championship 2023 |
| Highest TV average | 114.71 – against Stephen Bunting at the 2024 Grand Slam of Darts |
| Recorded 9-dart finishes | 1 |
| Best World Championship performance | 2025 – Second-round against either Ricardo Pietreczko or Zong Xiao Chen |
By entering the 2025 World Darts Championship as a seeded player, Van Veen has already bettered his first round performance last year without throwing a dart.