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. The controversy began when Van Veen won a contentious match earlier in April, after which Littler reacted angrily to Van Veen turning 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 led to their heated exchange. 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 believes was disrespectful. Littler expressed that he called Van Veen a 'cry baby' because there was no need for such behavior, especially since Littler had congratulated Van Veen 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, and that he should have instead focused on the game. The incident has sparked a rivalry between the two players, with Littler acknowledging that such rivalries can attract more viewers to the sport. Littler recently had a poor performance in Brighton, which he attributed to a lack of practice and a general lack of motivation. Despite this, he is looking forward to the upcoming Premier League Darts in Rotterdam, where he may face Van Veen in the semi-finals.