Gian van Veen faces a tense race against the clock ahead of the next Premier League Darts night in Berlin. The Dutch star missed both last week's Premier League night in Dublin and the Euro Tour in Belgium due to kidney stones, which landed him in hospital. He is cautiously improving, but a full recovery is still a long way off.
In the latest episode of the podcast Darts Draait Door, Van Veen offered an open look at his current physical condition. "I notice I've lost a lot of strength and energy over the past week, I get tired very quickly," he admitted. He tried to take it easy over the weekend by spending time with family, but even that proved taxing. "I was with family this past weekend and I noticed that all those stimuli are still very exhausting," said Van Veen. A first attempt to train again also showed he is still far from his usual level. "I also threw for a quarter of an hour on Sunday, but I was completely spent and wiped out. I really need to build up over the coming days, otherwise it'll be difficult." Those words underscore the current doubt about his availability for the upcoming match night in the German capital.
Van Veen remains realistic, despite his ambition to return as soon as possible. "I'm going to do everything I can, but the Premier League Darts isn't what it's all about in the end, as great as it is," he says. He also receives advice on the podcast from former professional darter Vincent van der Voort, who stresses the importance of patience and caution. "Don't start back too quickly, if I were him I'd be very careful. If you're already that tired after fifteen minutes of throwing..." Van Veen agrees, but he is mainly looking ahead. He revealed that a few days earlier the situation was much more concerning. "I tried for two days to pass the kidney stones so I wouldn't need surgery, but that wasn't possible due to an infection."
The coming days will be crucial for his participation in the Premier League night in Berlin. If his recovery progresses quickly enough, an appearance is still possible. But if the fatigue persists, it seems wiser not to take any risks. Whether Van Veen will actually take to the oche therefore remains uncertain for now. One thing is clear, though: his body will have the final say.
