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 effectively conceded at the end of the match, prompting Littler's comment. The controversy began when Van Veen won a contentious match earlier in April, during which Littler became upset after Van Veen turned towards him while throwing match darts in a dramatic 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 Van Veen had put his darts down before Littler had a chance to throw, which he perceived as disrespectful. Littler believes Van Veen was the one who failed to maintain a respectful demeanor, citing this as the reason for calling him a 'cry baby'. Littler also mentioned that when Van Veen won, he congratulated him and picked up his darts, demonstrating his own respect. The incident has sparked interest in their potential semi-final match-up in Rotterdam. Littler acknowledged that there was no need for Van Veen to stare at him while he still had darts to throw, and he should have instead focused on his game. Littler expressed that he was looking forward to the crowd and celebrating with his girlfriend and her dad when Van Veen stared at him, which he found unnecessary. Littler recently had his worst televised average 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 did not interact, practicing in separate rooms. Littler downplayed the incident, suggesting that other rivalries in darts have been more heated, such as those between Gerwyn Price and Daryl Gurney. He acknowledged that the incident may have generated interest in their potential match-up but emphasized the importance of moving forward and focusing on his game.