Darts star Van Veen launches public appeal for help as luggage is sent to Paris just days before New Zealand Masters

GIAN VAN VEEN is facing a crisis ahead of the New Zealand Masters after his luggage – and darts – didn’t arrive. The world No2 will make his debut in Auckland on Friday night. Gian van Veen has landed in New Zealand but without his darts Credit: Getty The Dutchman took to social media to explain the situation Credit: instagram But he is in a race against time to make sure he has the right equipment. Van Veen, 24, has been constantly in touch with Qatar Airways after his bags didn’t make it following the 30-hour trip via Doha and Adelaide before finally touching down in New Zealand. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! And he posted a video on his Instagram explaining what happened – after already tweeting for help from Qatar Airways. Van Veen said in the clip: “We’re here, we’re finally in Auckland. “As you can see, it’s nearly 1am in the morning on the Monday. “I’m not playing until Friday – but that’s for the better as well because, as you can see, I don’t have any luggage. “Our bags are still in Paris. It’s going to take a while for them to arrive – hopefully Tuesday evening so we should have them here on Wednesday but for now, I’m tired, I’m going to go to sleep.” Van Veen added to AD.nl: “There’s a ten-hour time difference, so you want to get used to it a little. Most read in Darts BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK Credit: X “You don’t want to be on stage on Friday with a sleepy head. You don’t come here that often, so it’s nice to see something of the country as well. “I’ve been busy in the live chat with Qatar Airways for several hours to make sure the suitcases get here as soon as possible. “My darts, my shirt, my trousers: everything is in there. “We’ve now been told they should be here on Thursday evening. “But two days ago they said we should already have the suitcases by now, and that didn’t happen either. We’ll have to wait and see.” A constant issue for the players is that they aren’t allowed to take darts in their carry-on bags and therefore depend on checked baggage when flying. He added: “It’s happened to me once before, but that was on the way back to the Netherlands, so it wasn’t such a big deal. “We went to a dart shop here for darts, but I have a special point on my darts that isn’t sold here. “So I do have darts I can throw with now, but they’re not the same.” Comment now