Gian van Veen is embracing the moment as he prepares to face his childhood hero Gary Anderson in the semi-finals of the Paddy Power World Darts Championship, after making history at Alexandra Palace.
The 23-year-old Dutchman will battle the Scottish legend for a place in Saturday’s final, with the added incentive of becoming the sport’s first million-pound world champion. Van Veen’s remarkable run in London has seen him defeat Cristo Reyes, Alan Soutar, Madars Razma, Charlie Manby and world champion Luke Humphries to reach the last four.
Those victories have propelled Van Veen to world number three, a rise that also ends Michael van Gerwen’s long-standing reign as the Netherlands’ top-ranked player, a position he had held since 2012. Van Veen admitted the increased prize money made major ranking changes inevitable but described becoming Dutch number one as beyond anything he imagined growing up, having idolised Raymond van Barneveld and later Van Gerwen.
His breakthrough campaign marks a dramatic turnaround at Ally Pally, where he had previously failed to win a match, exiting early in his two earlier appearances. This time, he has underlined his status as one of the game’s elite performers, highlighted by a dominant 5–1 quarter-final win over Humphries.
After two evenly matched sets, Van Veen produced a stunning display, averaging close to 106, landing 11 maximums and finishing superbly to seal victory. He described the performance as one of the finest of his career, particularly given the pressure and occasion.
Next up is Anderson, who is chasing a third world title after rolling back the years to defeat players including Jermaine Wattimena and Michael van Gerwen on his way to an eighth semi-final appearance. Despite the challenge, Van Veen is relaxed and determined to enjoy the experience, saying the pressure disappeared after winning his opening match.
Calling Anderson his darting idol, Van Veen said he is excited to share the sport’s biggest stage with him and hopes their clash will live up to expectations.
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