In a remarkable display of grit and determination, 23-year-old Dutch rising star Gian van Veen produced a stunning victory over three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen to reach the semi-final of the European Championship – all while dealing with a very visible and painful handicap. During the match, Van Veen’s right thumb began to bleed from his usual grip, creating a messy and slippery situation on stage. He laughed it off but admitted it made things very “all over the place.”
Van Veen secured an 11–9 triumph over Van Gerwen, coming from behind in the contest and showing composure beyond his years. At one point he was down 7–5, but he clawed back into contention and sealed the win, setting up a first ever televised ranking final. And yet, the triumph was overshadowed somewhat by the blood on his thumb—and his own candid assessment of the discomfort. “I’ve got a very heavy grip on my dart, which I love,” he explained after the match. “But today it really hit me at a wrong point, and I hold my dart here as well. So that’s why I was struggling a bit on stage, but this is what I use on stage. You can see all the blood spurts. It’s not ideal, but I got the job done and that’s what matters.” He admitted the blood made his darts “slipping all over the place.” “But I got the job done and I’m going to focus now for the final, got to sort this out, stop the bleeding, and then I’ll be ready.”
That readiness paid off. In the final he faced world number one Luke Humphries and, after finding himself 4–1 down, produced one of the most memorable comebacks of the season. He averaged 117 in one session, produced a brilliant 160 checkout and recovered to win 11–10, clinching his first PDC major title. With the victory came a prize cheque of £120,000, and a leap up the world rankings—from 15th into 7th.
Van Veen’s credentials had already begun to build: winner of the 2024 PDC World Youth Championship, nine-time Development Tour champion, and now making that step into the top tier of the senior circuit. But to do so while nursing a thumb injury that bled visibly on television added a dramatic dimension to his rise. The image of him wiping blood from his thumb before stepping to the oche will become one of the defining stills of the tournament.
In that post-final interview, Van Veen reflected emotionally: “I said it to my girlfriend that when I won my first stage title I wouldn’t cry. But here we are, I’m crying. It’s such a phenomenal feeling. When I missed 100 to win it 10–9, Luke hit the 85 on the bull—I thought ‘this is over’. But to hit the 100 checkout, the same checkout to win it, it’s amazing. I’ll never forget this moment.” A testament to his humility, he also praised his opponent for sportsmanship: “Even how Luke congratulated me after the game… how he showed his sportsmanship to me, it’s why he’s the World No 1. An amazing person Luke is.”
The bleeding thumb story is more than a quirky footnote—it highlights Van Veen’s mental strength. Darts is a sport of fine margins: grip pressure, rhythm, release, mental calm. Drop one factor and things can unravel. Yet he steadied himself, adapted his grip mid-match and kept competitive. He said the injury made his throw inconsistent: “The blood got a bit slippery as well and my darts were slipping all over the place.” Yet he accepted the mess and pressed on—proof his commitment already matches his talent.
For Van Gerwen, this defeat marks another sign that his rivals are catching up—and catching him. The semi-final exit underlines the shifting dynamic in the sport. For Van Veen, though, this is a breakthrough. From youth champion to major winner, he’s now entered the big-league conversation. With the ranking rise, the prize money, the media exposure and confidence gained, the season has transformed before his eyes.
As he looked ahead, Van Veen said his next job was practical: stop the bleeding, sort his thumb, get ready for the next battle. But he also knows the symbolic significance. This victory proves that when things go wrong—when blood soaks a thumb, when your grip falters, when the odds say you’re the underdog—you can still win. And when you do, it sends a message: don’t bet against the young lion on the circuit.
In short: Gian van Veen turned pain into triumph. He turned a potential breakdown in rhythm into a moment of ascendancy. With bleeding thumb and all, he claimed his first major title and announced himself as a serious contender in the world of darts.
Leave a Reply