Gian van Veen is aiming to build on his bright start to life in the BetMGM Premier League when he takes on Gerwyn Price in Antwerp tonight. Van Veen will lock horns with the in-form Welshman on a landmark night at the AFAS Dome, as the sport’s biggest roadshow visits Belgium for the first time. […]
Gian van Veen is aiming to build on his bright start to life in the BetMGM Premier League when he takes on Gerwyn Price in Antwerp tonight.
Van Veen will lock horns with the in-form Welshman on a landmark night at the AFAS Dome, as the sport’s biggest roadshow visits Belgium for the first time.
The young Dutchman enjoyed an impressive start to his campaign in Newcastle last week, dumping out Luke Littler and Jonny Clayton before succumbing to Michael van Gerwen in the Night One final.
“Especially playing Luke Littler in the first game, my goal was just to win that game,” admitted the 23-year-old.
“I then managed to win another game, but looking back at the final I just wasn’t up to par, so that’s something I’m really looking at in terms of how I can do better.
“The most important thing was to get off zero points, especially playing in this competition for the first time.
“You don’t want to spend three or four weeks not winning any games, because then it can start getting to you, so that was really important.”
Van Veen wasn’t at his brilliant best in Newcastle, although he insists there were plenty of positives to take after departing the North East with a three-point haul.
“I didn’t play my A-game, but I think that could help me,” continued the reigning European Champion.
“Even though I didn’t play at my best, I can still beat Luke, I can still win games in the Premier League, and that gave me so much confidence.
“I said it last week as well – Luke Littler is not someone you want to lose five or six matches in a row against, because next time he’ll already be 2-0 up against you [mentally].
“You need to poke back at him a couple of times and that’s what I did last week, so I think that’s going to help my campaign over the coming weeks.”
However, Van Veen faces another tough assignment on Night Two, as he plays Price in the evening’s fourth quarter-final.
Price has won eight of their nine previous meetings, although Van Veen did open his account against the Welshman with a whitewash victory on the European Tour back in September.
“The first couple of times we played, Gerwyn beat me every time, and if I remember correctly, he averaged above 105 every time as well,” recalled Van Veen.
“He played phenomenal darts in all those games, but especially in the first couple of games I played him, I was quite intimidated by him on stage.
“Now I think I’ve grown so much as a player, and I think that first win over him was really needed.
“I got that in Prague last year, and we’ve only played each other once since then.
“Now I know what it’s like to beat him, and what it takes to beat him, and that gives me much more confidence going into this game.”
Van Veen has enjoyed a meteoric rise over recent months, winning his maiden televised ranking title and catapulting himself into the world’s top three following his Alexandra Palace exploits.
However, he’s determined to take his new-found Premier League fame in his stride, and is hoping for plenty of support from the 10,000 fans in Antwerp tonight.
“I just want to enjoy the new experiences and all the new venues. It’s going well so far, and I’m enjoying every single moment of it,” added the Dutch number one.
“With it being the first time here in Antwerp, it’s a similar distance to Rotterdam from my place, so it feels like a home game!
“It’s something to be proud of for me, that I’m part of the first night in Belgium. It’s going to be a fantastic atmosphere, and I want to be the first winner here.
“I got a lot of support in Antwerp on the European Tour last year. Even when I played Michael van Gerwen the crowd were cheering for me, so hopefully I’ll get some support.
“Looking at the way Gerwyn Price played on the ProTour on Tuesday, I will probably need it!”
2026 BetMGM Premier League
Night Two – AFAS Dome, Antwerp
Thursday February 12
Quarter-Finals
Luke Littler v Luke Humphries
Michael van Gerwen v Josh Rock
Jonny Clayton v Stephen Bunting
Gerwyn Price v Gian van Veen
Semi-Finals
Littler/Humphries v Van Gerwen/Rock
Clayton/Bunting v Price/Van Veen
Final
v
All matches best of 11 legs