Littler Explains 'Cry Baby' Remark Aimed at Van Veen

Luke Littler has shed light on why he referred to Gian van Veen as a 'cry baby' following their intense Premier League Darts match in Manchester. According to Littler, Van Veen essentially conceded at the end of the match, prompting the remark. The match in question, which took place earlier this month, saw Van Veen emerge victorious in a controversial contest. Littler had reacted angrily after Van Veen turned towards him while throwing match darts in the deciding leg. Van Veen later 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 side of the story, revealing that as he walked back around, Van Veen had put his darts down, an action Littler perceived as disrespectful. Littler believes Van Veen was the one not doing his job by being respectful, and that there was no need for him to put his darts down. When Van Veen won, Littler congratulated him, saying 'well done, you got the win.' Littler also stated that there was no need for Van Veen to stare at him when he still had not thrown his three darts. He added that from his perspective, he was looking up at the TV, thinking that Van Veen would not miss, given his reputation as one of the best bull hitters in the game. The incident has sparked interest in a potential rematch between the two players, who could meet in the semi-finals in Rotterdam. Littler produced his worst televised average last week in Brighton, which he attributed to a lack of practice and a general 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, suggesting that other exchanges in darts have been more heated, such as those between Gerwyn Price and Daryl Gurney. He acknowledged that the rivalry between him and Van Veen would likely continue, but expressed his focus on his own game.