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. Littler claims Van Veen effectively conceded at the end of the match, prompting the remark. The controversy began when Van Veen won a disputed match earlier in April, during which Littler became agitated after Van Veen turned towards him while throwing match darts in the decisive leg. Van Veen had stated that Littler was 'out of order' for celebrating towards the crowd, which led to Van Veen staring at Littler, causing him to miss match darts and ultimately lose. However, Littler has now shared his perspective on the incident, revealing that as he walked back, Van Veen had already put his darts down, which Littler felt was disrespectful. Littler expressed that he called Van Veen a 'cry baby' because there was no need for Van Veen's actions, and that when Van Veen won, Littler congratulated him and picked up his darts. Littler also stated that there was no need for Van Veen to stare at him when he still had not thrown his three darts, and that Van Veen should have just focused on his game instead of getting distracted. The incident has sparked a rivalry between the two players, with Littler saying that such rivalries are common in darts and that he is focused on his game. Littler recently had a poor performance in Brighton, which he attributed to a lack of practice and a lack of motivation. He is set to participate in the Premier League Darts in Rotterdam, where he may face Van Veen in the semi-finals.