Littler Explains 'Cry Baby' Remark Aimed at Van Veen

Luke Littler has shed light on the incident that prompted him to label Gian van Veen a 'cry baby' following their intense Premier League Darts match in Manchester. According to Littler, Van Veen effectively conceded at the end of the match, leading to the verbal jab. 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 he claimed caused him to stare at Littler. However, Littler has now shared his side of the story ahead of the Premier League Darts in Rotterdam. He explained that as he walked back around, he was still looking towards the crowd, and Van Veen had put his darts down, which Littler found disrespectful. Littler expressed that he called Van Veen a 'cry baby' because there was no need for Van Veen's actions, especially since Littler had congratulated him on his 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. Littler shared that 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. When Van Veen came inside the double 15, Littler looked up, had a drink of water, and then did a fist bump towards his girlfriend, Faith, and her dad, which prompted the fans to start screaming. Littler felt that Van Veen had no reason to look back and stare at him, as he still had a dart in hand. Littler asserted that he did not do anything to provoke Van Veen, and his actions were directed towards Faith, her dad, and the crowd. Littler recently produced his worst televised average, 83.94, in a 6-4 defeat to Stephen Bunting in Brighton. He attributed the poor performance to a lack of practice and a general lack of motivation. Littler and Van Veen did not speak to each other after their respective losses last Thursday and practiced in different rooms, which Littler considered normal. Littler pointed out that other incidents in darts, such as arguments between Gerwyn Price and Daryl Gurney, were more heated than his exchange with Van Veen. He acknowledged that the rivalry between him and Van Veen would likely draw more viewers and create a more exciting competition.