Gian van Veen's return to Premier League Darts in Berlin on Thursday has immediately sparked debate after the Dutchman came back from surgery for kidney stones only to suffer a clear 6-1 defeat to Gerwyn Price. Van Veen barely got a foothold in the match, managing just one dart at a double in the entire contest. The loss has seen him slip to sixth in the standings, four points off the play-off places.
Former professional Matthew Edgar has warned that a premature comeback could affect Van Veen's game, particularly given his throwing style. "Van Veen is someone who grips the darts towards the front end of the barrel, which means he needs to throw the darts with pace," Edgar said on the OLBG podcast. "He is going to need all that strength, otherwise he is relying purely on expert timing and a little bit of momentum." Edgar added that there is a risk Van Veen might start to move and sway with his body, which could break down his technique, concluding: "So, there are things you look at here with Van Veen and you go he’s got to play it carefully."
Edgar also questioned Van Veen's packed schedule, with ProTour events coming up on Monday and Tuesday next week. "Would it be a good idea to skip those right now?" he said. "He could win one of them and then you go, ‘Oh, that’s all well and good.’ But does that have a knock-on effect? Because then he will be overly fatigued." The ex-pro stressed the importance of recovery time, stating: "You don’t come out of surgery and then go straight into top-level sport. You need that recovery time."
Van Veen started the season strongly, reaching multiple finals in the opening weeks of the Premier League. However, since Night Four, he hasn’t won a match—a run that continued in Berlin. The combination of physical uncertainty and disappointing results adds pressure on the Dutchman, who remains in the hunt for a top-four spot. There isn’t much time to recover, as another tough opponent awaits in the next round in Manchester: Luke Littler.
