Gian van Veen’s broken promise to girlfriend after nightmare injury before major final

Gian van Veen will face Luke Littler in the World Darts Championship final and the Dutchman has been in fine form since winning the European Championship last year

Gian van Veen has made it to his first World Darts Championship final where he’s set to face the formidable Luke Littler. But just a few months before this showdown the 23-year-old had a victory at the European Championship marred by injury and broken promises.

Long considered a darting wunderkind, Van Veen battled with Dartitis before making his mark on the PDC’s Pro Tour. Despite these hurdles, he’s been in top form during this year’s Worlds, defeating a spirited Gary Anderson to secure his spot in the final.

His next challenge is a daunting one, dethroning The Nuke. Reigning world champion Littler has lost only three sets in this tournament and continues to play at an almost unbeatable level.

Still, Van Veen is expected to put up a strong fight, having tasted major success previously at the European Championship. This triumph last October saw Van Veen break a promise to his partner and sustain an injury on stage. In the lead-up to his world final run, Van Veen strung together a series of victories en route to the European Championship final in Dortmund, Germany

It was here that the Dutchman edged out Luke Humphries in a nail-biting deciding leg to clinch his first major title with a narrow 11-10 scoreline. But his path to the final wasn’t smooth sailing as he suffered an injury during his semi-final match.

Van Veen squared off against compatriot Michael van Gerwen in the semi-finals and triumphed 11-9, though his dart grip sliced his thumb open during play, causing it to bleed.

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“I’m a bit bleeding!” Van Veen confessed following his victory. “Today I’ve got a very heavy grip on my dart, which I love, but today it really hit me at the wrong point. I hold my dart here as well, so that’s why I was a bit struggling on stage. This is what I used on stage and you can see all the blood spatters, and it’s not ideal but I got the job done and that’s what matters.

“During the game I already thought it was a problem and I’ve already thought I would have lost because of that, but I didn’t. It was a mental battle as well, because the blood got a bit slippery as well.

“My dart was slipping all over the place. But I got the job done and I’m going to focus now for the final. I’m going to sort this out, hopefully it stops bleeding and then I’ll be ready.”

Despite appearing to be in discomfort throughout the final, the wound didn’t hamper his performance significantly as he crossed the finishing line. Yet as he savoured his triumph, he ended up breaking a light-hearted vow he’d made to his partner.

“I said it to my girlfriend when I walked on stage, whenever I win my first TV title I wouldn’t cry – and here I am crying,” Van Veen revealed to ITV. “I will never forget this moment or even this crowd. It is phenomenal to win my first major in Germany. It is definitely a night to never forget.”

Now, he’s setting his sights on going one step further and clinching the most prestigious title on the Ally Pally stage. The victor of this year’s event will pocket a staggering £1million.