Littler Explains 'Cry Baby' Remark Aimed at Van Veen

Luke Littler has shed light on the reason behind his 'cry baby' comment directed at Gian van Veen 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. Van Veen had emerged victorious in a contentious match earlier in April, during which Littler reacted angrily after Van Veen turned towards him while throwing match darts in the decisive leg. The Dutch player had stated that Littler was 'out of order' for celebrating in the direction of the crowd, which caused him to stare at Littler. Littler has now shared his side of the story ahead of the Premier League Darts in Rotterdam, where the two could potentially meet in the semi-finals. Littler revealed that as he walked back, he was still facing the crowd, and Van Veen had put down his darts, which Littler felt was disrespectful. He questioned Van Veen's actions, wondering why he would do such a thing, especially when Littler had congratulated him on his win. Littler also mentioned that there was no need for Van Veen to stare at him when he still had not thrown his three darts. From Littler's perspective, he was focused on the TV, thinking that Van Veen would not miss his shot. When Van Veen came inside double 15, Littler looked up, had a drink of water, and then did a fist bump towards his girlfriend, Faith, and her dad, which is when the fans started screaming. Littler felt that Van Veen had no reason to look back and stare at him, especially since he still had a dart in hand. Littler produced his worst televised average last week in Brighton, which he attributed to a lack of practice and not being in the right mindset. Van Veen also lost his first match, and the two did not interact with each other, practicing in separate rooms. Littler believes that other incidents in darts have been more heated than his exchange with Van Veen, citing arguments between Gerwyn Price and Daryl Gurney. He thinks that the rivalry between him and Van Veen will draw more viewers, and they will likely talk eventually. For now, Littler is focused on his darts, and the Premier League Darts action continues every Thursday until May 28, live on Sky Sports.