Gian van Veen is set to compete in his first World Darts Championship final, facing Luke Littler, just months after a dramatic European Championship win marked by injury and a broken promise to his girlfriend.
The 23-year-old Dutchman overcame dartitis earlier in his career but has shown remarkable form at this year's Worlds, defeating Gary Anderson to reach the final. He now attempts to dethrone reigning champion Littler, who has lost only three sets in the tournament.
Van Veen's path to the European Championship title in October was not without incident. During his semi-final against Michael van Gerwen, his thumb split open and bled due to his heavy dart grip. 'I'm a bit bleeding!' he said after the 11-9 win, adding that the blood made his dart slippery but he got the job done.
Despite the injury, he beat Luke Humphries 11-10 in a deciding leg to claim his first major title. However, in the emotion of victory, he broke a vow to his girlfriend. 'I said to my girlfriend when I walked on stage, whenever I win my first TV title I wouldn't cry - and here I am crying,' he told ITV.
Now, Van Veen aims for the £1 million prize at Alexandra Palace, with the tournament starting December 11, exclusively live on Sky Sports.
