Littler Explains 'Cry Baby' Remark Aimed at Van Veen

Luke Littler has shed light on his recent 'cry baby' comment directed at Gian van Veen, following their intense Premier League Darts match in Manchester. According to Littler, Van Veen effectively conceded at the end of the match, prompting him to make the remark. The controversy began when Van Veen won a disputed match earlier in April, during which Littler became upset after Van Veen turned towards him while throwing match darts in a dramatic leg. Van Veen claimed Littler was 'out of order' for celebrating towards the crowd, causing him to stare at Littler, who then missed his match darts and lost. However, Littler has now shared his side of the story ahead of the Premier League Darts in Rotterdam, where the two may face each other in the semi-finals. Littler stated that after the match, Van Veen put down his darts and stared at him, which he believed was uncalled for. Littler said, 'I think he's the one who's not doing his job, being respectful. I've never seen someone put their darts down in front of my face.' He added that he called Van Veen a 'cry baby' because there was no need for his actions. Littler also mentioned that he didn't see the need for Van Veen to stare at him when he still had darts to throw. He explained that he was looking at the TV, thinking Van Veen wouldn't miss his shot, and was surprised when Van Veen stared at him instead of focusing on his game. The incident has sparked a rivalry between the two players, with Littler stating that it will likely draw more viewers to their upcoming matches. Littler also reflected on his poor performance last week in Brighton, where he produced his worst televised average and lost to Stephen Bunting. He attributed the loss to a lack of practice and a lack of motivation. Van Veen also lost his first match, and the two players did not interact with each other, practicing in separate rooms. Littler downplayed the incident, saying that other darts players have had more heated exchanges, such as Gerwyn Price and Daryl Gurney. He believes the rivalry between him and Van Veen will only add to the excitement of the Premier League Darts, which continues every Thursday until May 28, live on Sky Sports.