The war of words between darts’ rising stars shows no signs of cooling, as Gian van Veen fires back at world champion Luke Littler and promises to settle their bitter feud on the oche.
The rivalry erupted on Night Nine of the Premier League in Manchester, where Van Veen secured a dramatic 6-5 victory over Littler . The match descended into chaos in the deciding leg when Van Veen missed a match dart at double 15. He turned to see Littler appearing to celebrate his miss—a breach of unwritten sporting etiquette that sparked the fire .
“I missed the double 15 then looked around, fuming with myself,” Van Veen explained. “He was celebrating me missing. That’s out of order” .
Littler has defended his actions, insisting he was merely gesturing to his girlfriend and her father in the crowd, not celebrating his opponent’s error . The world champion also accused Van Veen of disrespect by putting his darts down as he approached the oche, suggesting a psychological game .
“It’s the first ever time I have seen someone put their darts down, in front of my face,” Littler told Online Darts, calling his rival a “cry baby” .
“I’ll Poke Back”
Despite Littler’s claims, Van Veen remains defiant. The Dutch number one has made it clear he will not back down and is relishing the chance to renew hostilities on stage.
“He’s got his opinion and he’s entitled to it. I still have mine,” Van Veen stated, insisting he has “no hard feelings” but that the matter is far from over .
“I still have the same view as I had two weeks ago… if he wants to bury the hatchet, then fine” .
Van Veen has embraced the role of antagonist, drawing parallels to classic rivalries. “15, 20 years ago, we had Taylor against Barney. Hopefully, this couple of years, it’s going to be the same between Luke and me,” he said .
This tension provides Van Veen with extra motivation. “You need to poke back at him and that’s what I did last week,” he said, referencing his Manchester victory and vowing to keep challenging Littler .
Fallout Continues
The feud has taken its toll on Littler, who admitted the controversy and subsequent hostile crowds made him want to “quit” the Premier League . The teenager revealed he told his partner he was “down bad” and didn’t want to attend further nights, particularly after facing jeers in Rotterdam .
However, Van Veen has dismissed the need for peace talks, stating that while he is open to reconciliation, he will not initiate it . The Dutchman has also warned Littler that the Dutch crowd will be “cruel” whenever they next meet .
With both players now publicly entrenched in their positions and Van Veen openly declaring his intent to teach Littler a lesson, the stage is set for a dramatic showdown when they next meet—where the only resolution will come at the oche.