Tensions boiled over between Luke Littler and Gian van Veen during their Premier League Darts Night Nine clash in Manchester on Thursday night, with the Dutchman securing a 6-5 victory that was overshadowed by a post-match confrontation. The incident occurred after Van Veen missed his first match dart on 90, with Littler appearing to celebrate the miss, which Van Veen later confirmed on Viaplay left him "wrankled." Van Veen noticed Littler's reaction, looking first at the crowd and then at his opponent, before eventually sealing the win and moving through to the semi-finals, while Littler was eliminated.
Van Veen gave his account of the incident in a Viaplay interview, expressing clear frustration. "I'm on 90, I miss double 15 on the inside, and then I see him celebrating towards the crowd. I don't think that's normal. And then he also makes that crying gesture... He's a fantastic darts player, but today he showed he's not a good loser," he said. Van Veen added, "Celebrating a miss from your opponent, that really annoys me. That's why I gave him a look. The fact he then misses three darts at a double, that's his problem."
The victory held extra significance for Van Veen, who revealed his recent struggles with kidney stones. "The last few weeks have been really tough. So to beat Luke Littler now feels very good. The way it happened doesn't really matter to me," he stated. After the match, Van Veen went for a handshake, but Littler did not look him in the eyes, underscoring the lingering animosity between the two players who contested the World Championship final this past January.
