Gian van Veen has revealed he is still recovering from kidney stones and feeling the physical effects as he prepares for his Premier League Darts debut in Rotterdam next week. The young Dutchman, who withdrew from the Premier League three weeks ago due to the condition, admitted to Viaplay after his defeat to Michael van Gerwen in Brighton that he has "just lost some strength and energy."
Van Veen described how his first dart often dips and that his energy was "completely gone" during a long Euro Tour match last Saturday, though he emphasized he felt fine during the Brighton match and doesn't want to use his health as an excuse. Despite the physical challenges, he remains focused on his upcoming appearance at Rotterdam Ahoy, calling it a special moment he's "really, really looking forward to" and even having a special shirt made for the occasion.
To ensure he's ready for Rotterdam, Van Veen is skipping Players Championship events at the start of next week, opting instead to stay in the Netherlands on Monday and Tuesday for rest, though he plans to play two exhibitions this weekend for practice. Despite recent disappointments—including a Brighton defeat where he acknowledged his scoring "wasn't great" and he missed crucial doubles—optimism prevails as he hopes to be "a bit better than in recent weeks" for his home crowd debut.
