Vincent van der Voort has suggested that Gian van Veen made a mistake by returning to Premier League Darts action too quickly after his kidney stone operation. Speaking on the Sportnieuws.nl Darts Draait Door podcast, the former professional believes the 23-year-old Dutchman has been performing below his level in recent weeks and is struggling both physically and mentally since his hospital stay.
Van Veen showed signs of recovery with a win over Gerwyn Price during Night 12 in Liverpool, but Van der Voort insists the young star has not been himself. “You miss that sparkle in him,” he said. “Last year he was running around faster and joking more and such. I do notice that he is a bit affected.” Van der Voort, who has spoken with Van Veen behind the scenes during the Premier League and on the Euro Tour, added: “He didn't play a good match again and his darts aren't set up right at the moment either. When that happens to you as a player, it is very unpleasant. You are inclined to start throwing differently to fix it. You don't get that back overnight and it starts to eat away at you. You can see that in him too.”
Van der Voort pointed specifically to Van Veen’s comeback during the Premier League night in Berlin, shortly after his medical procedure. “I think he made a mistake by going back to Berlin too soon for the Premier League Darts. He said that three days earlier he was completely exhausted after ten minutes.” According to Van der Voort, the difficult spell is now affecting the way Van Veen stands at the oche. “You see with players who aren't going well that the tension is palpable. You notice that he isn't loose, and that is exactly what you want to instill in him: he needs to throw as freely as possible. I think he is tensing up just a little bit at the moment.”
Despite the concerns, Van der Voort believes it is too early to be truly worried about Van Veen given his young age and proven qualities. He noted that Van Veen wants to regain rhythm and confidence by playing more Players Championship events, a choice Van der Voort described as logical. “He is a sensible guy and doesn't get into trouble. He really does think things through and doesn't do crazy things.” However, Van der Voort knows from experience how mentally tough such a phase can be. “But it eats away at you. Then you start worrying and lying in bed thinking about what needs to change. It is quite exhausting to figure out what the cause is. I hope he gets it sorted out soon.”
