Littler Explains 'Cry Baby' Remark Directed at Van Veen

Luke Littler has shared his side of the story regarding the heated exchange with Gian van Veen during their Premier League Darts match in Manchester, which led to him labeling Van Veen a 'cry baby'. The controversy began when Van Veen won a contentious match, prompting Littler to react angrily after Van Veen turned towards him while throwing match darts in the decisive 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 revealed that as he walked back, Van Veen had put his darts down, an action Littler believes was disrespectful. Littler expressed that he called Van Veen a 'cry baby' because there was no need for Van Veen's actions, emphasizing that when Van Veen won, Littler congratulated him and picked up his darts. Littler also stated that there was no need for Van Veen to stare at him when he still had not thrown his three darts, adding that Van Veen should have focused on his game instead. The incident has sparked interest in their potential semi-final meeting in Rotterdam. Littler recently produced his worst televised average in the Premier League Darts, which he attributed to a lack of practice and a general disinterest in being there. Both Littler and Van Veen lost their first matches, and while they did not speak to each other, Littler believes their rivalry will draw more viewers. He pointed to other heated incidents in darts, such as those between Gerwyn Price and Daryl Gurney, and expressed his focus on moving forward with his game.