Gian van Veen Advances While Dutch Hopefuls Exit in Dortmund
Gian van Veen opened his title defense at the 2026 European Championship with a hard-fought 6-4 victory over Andrew Gilding on Thursday night, October 22, at the Westfalenhallen in Dortmund, Germany, as NOS reported. The opening night of the Professional Darts Corporation major also saw three other Dutch contenders fall in the first round, while Belgian late-entrant Kim Huybrechts delivered a commanding performance to reach the second round.
Van Veen built an early 2-0 lead before his scoring dropped, allowing Gilding to claim three consecutive legs. The defending champion regrouped to secure the match when his first match dart hit the target at 5-4. Meanwhile, Dirk van Duijvenbode suffered a 6-3 defeat to Luke Woodhouse, who electrified the arena by hitting a nine-dart finish. It marked the first perfect leg at the European Championship since José de Sousa achieved the feat in 2020. Danny Noppert also exited after a 6-5 loss to Stephen Bunting, failing to convert a deciding leg after Bunting sealed the win with a 160 finish. Debutant Niels Zonneveld rounded out the early Dutch departures with a 6-3 defeat against Cameron Menzies.
Kim Huybrechts Seizes Late Opportunity Against Ryan Searle
Kim Huybrechts stepped into the tournament as a late reserve on Thursday morning after Luke Humphries withdrew, and the Belgian capitalized immediately by defeating world number 15 Ryan Searle 6-1. Huybrechts averaged nearly 104 with a 66 percent checkout percentage, converting his very first match dart by finishing 89 in two darts. He advances to face Stephen Bunting in the second round.
Record Prize Pool and Qualification Structure in Dortmund
The 19th edition of the European Championship runs from October 22 through October 25, featuring a total prize fund of £750,000, with the winner claiming £150,000 and the runner-up taking home £80,000, according to Nieuwsblad. Unlike standard PDC majors that rely on the main Order of Merit, the 32-player field in Dortmund is determined by the European Tour Order of Merit based on earnings across the 15 European Tour events.
Top seed Ross Smith leads the bracket alongside other prominent players including Luke Littler, Gerwyn Price, and Michael van Gerwen. Opening-round matches continue through Friday night before the tournament moves to the second round on Saturday, October 24, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final on Sunday, October 25.
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