Tense Premier League Quarter-Final

Luke Littler, the two-time world champion, faced off against Gian van Veen in the Premier League Darts quarter-final on Thursday evening. Littler entered as the league leader but missed three crucial match darts, allowing Van Veen to secure a 6-5 victory.

During the match, the 19-year-old Littler drew attention with his on-stage behavior. He gestured impatiently for Van Veen to speed up and made crying motions toward the crowd after his misses.

Van Veen’s Post-Match Reaction

Van Veen addressed Littler’s actions in his interview with Sky Sports. “I’m on 90 and miss double-15 on the inside, and then I see him cheering towards the crowd,” Van Veen said. “I don’t think that’s normal. And then he makes that crying gesture too… he is a great darts player, but today he shows that he is not a good loser. Cheering over an opponent’s miss really annoys me. So that’s why I gave him an angry look. That he then misses three darts at a double, that’s his problem.”

Littler appeared frustrated as he walked off stage during Van Veen’s comments, muttering to himself.

Littler’s Instagram Response

Littler escalated the exchange on Instagram Stories. He posted a screenshot of his PDC achievements, strategically obscuring the European Championship title that Van Veen holds. The caption read: “Goodnight godbless thankyou manchester ❤️”.

He followed up by reposting Van Veen’s quotes, adding three crying-laughing emojis as his retort.

League Standings and Littler’s History

Littler now ranks third in the Premier League standings after the loss. The teenager burst onto the scene at the 2024 World Darts Championship, drawing new fans to the sport despite occasional crowd backlash.

Last December at Alexandra Palace, boos rang out during his last-16 match. Unfazed, Littler responded: “I’m not bothered, really I’m not bothered. Can I just say one thing? You guys paid for tickets and you’re paying for my prize money – so thank you for my money. Thank you for booing me! Come on!”