Dutch darts player Gian van Veen has stated that he does not require a conversation with Luke Littler to put their on-stage spat behind them. The incident occurred during Night Nine of the Premier League in Manchester, where Van Veen emerged victorious in a controversial match. Littler reacted angrily after Van Veen turned towards him while throwing match darts, leading to a heated exchange.
Van Veen described Littler's behavior as 'out of order' and claimed that Littler's celebrations were directed towards the crowd, causing him to stare back. However, Littler has since explained that his celebrations were actually intended for his girlfriend and father. Despite hearing Littler's perspective, Van Veen's opinion on the matter remains unchanged.
He emphasized that there are no hard feelings between them and expressed his eagerness to face Littler again in the upcoming Premier League Darts event in Rotterdam. The tournament, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, will feature Van Veen hosting Luke Humphries on his first Premier League night on home soil, while Michael van Gerwen will face Jonny Clayton. Luke Littler will compete against Gerwyn Price in a crucial battle near the top of the table.
The event will award ranking points, with the top four players progressing to Finals Night at The O2 in London on May 28. Van Veen, who is currently ranked as the world's number three, expressed his excitement about performing in front of his home crowd and stated that he is looking forward to experiencing the electric atmosphere at the Rotterdam Ahoy.
He also mentioned that he hopes to discuss the experience with Michael van Gerwen, who has previously performed at the venue, to prepare himself for the event.