Luke Littler has shed light on why he labeled Gian van Veen 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 comment. 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 a dramatic deciding leg. Van Veen claimed Littler was 'out of order' for celebrating towards the crowd, which he said 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 revealed that as he walked back, Van Veen had already put his darts down, which Littler found disrespectful. Littler questioned why Van Veen felt the need to do so, 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 darts to throw.
He explained that he was looking at the TV, thinking Van Veen would not miss his shot, and only acknowledged the crowd after Van Veen had thrown. Littler added that Van Veen should have focused on his last dart instead of staring at him. The incident has sparked interest in their potential semifinal matchup in Rotterdam. Littler recently had his worst televised average in a defeat to Stephen Bunting, which he attributed to a lack of practice and a poor mindset.
Both Littler and Van Veen lost their first matches last Thursday and did not interact, practicing in separate rooms. Littler downplayed the incident, comparing it to more heated exchanges between other players, such as Gerwyn Price and Daryl Gurney. He acknowledged the rivalry between him and Van Veen but emphasized his focus on improving his darts.