Littler Explains 'Cry Baby' Remark Aimed at Van Veen

Luke Littler has shed light on the incident that led him to label Gian van Veen a 'cry baby' following their heated Premier League Darts match in Manchester. According to Littler, Van Veen essentially gave up towards the end of the match, prompting the remark. The controversy began when Van Veen won a contentious match earlier in April, during which Littler reacted angrily after Van Veen turned towards him while throwing match darts in a dramatic deciding leg. Van Veen had stated that Littler was 'out of order' for celebrating towards the crowd, which caused him to stare at Littler. However, Littler has now shared his perspective on the incident, explaining that as he walked back, he was still looking at the crowd, and Van Veen had put his darts down, a move Littler found disrespectful. Littler expressed that he called Van Veen a 'cry baby' because there was no need for such behavior. He also mentioned that when Van Veen won, he congratulated him and picked up his darts. Littler further stated that there was no need for Van Veen to stare at him when he still had not thrown his three darts. He believes that Van Veen should have focused on his game instead of getting distracted. The incident has sparked a rivalry between the two players, with Littler noting that such rivalries are common in darts and can attract more viewers. Littler also reflected on his poor performance last week in Brighton, which he attributed to a lack of practice and a lack of desire to be there. He is now looking forward to the upcoming Premier League Darts in Rotterdam, where he may face Van Veen in the semi-finals.