Van Veen Unfazed by Littler's Opinion

Gian van Veen, the World Darts Championship finalist, has expressed his indifference to Luke Littler's opinion of him, following a tense encounter during the Premier League Darts in Manchester. The incident occurred after Van Veen missed a match-winning dart, prompting Littler to celebrate in front of the crowd, which led to a heated exchange between the two players. Van Veen ultimately emerged victorious, wrapping up the quarter-final win despite Littler's attempts to provoke him. In a post-match interview, Van Veen labeled Littler a 'bad loser' and criticized his behavior on the oche as 'out of order.' Littler responded by sharing Van Veen's comments on his Instagram stories, accompanied by laughing emojis. When asked about the incident, Van Veen stated that he hadn't spoken to Littler and didn't care about the world champion's opinion of him, adding that their relationship is unlikely to be cordial in the near future. The two players will not face each other in the upcoming European Tour event in Munich, as Littler has opted not to participate. Van Veen, currently ranked third in the world, will return to action on Sunday, competing against either William O'Connor or Sebastian Bialecki in the second round.