LITTLER AND VAN VEEN ROW MISUNDERSTOOD

LUKE LITTLER and Gian van Veen’s Premier League bust up has been misunderstood.

World No.3 Van Veen hit out at the world champion after he appeared to celebrate him missing match darts in their quarter-final bout. 

‘The Nuke’ was angry after Van Veen stared him out as they were locked at 5-5 in a nail-biting affair at Manchester. 

The teen sensation flung his arms up and did a cry baby gesture about the Dutch ace after he missed his own chance to win the match on double seven. 

Van Veen eventually wrapped up the 6-5 win on double six and the pair exchanged a frosty handshake. 

But former pro Scott Mitchell insists Littler’s reaction was not about his opponent but about firing himself up for the moment.

He wrote on Facebook: “For me I think the Luke Littler and Gian situation has been a little misread by pundits and news channels alike.  

“Luke I don’t believe would ever celebrate another player missing a double. Inside maybe but outwardly no.  

“What he would do at 5-5, with himself to throw is get the crowd ramped up before his visit for match winning double. That we have seen from him before.”

The former BDO world champion understands Van Veen’s reaction, insisting adrenaline and pressure can completely distort reality on the oche.

He added: “Gian’s disappointment at missing saw him looking directly to his left, then in his peripheral vision, saw Luke doing was ramping up the crowd for his visit to win the match.  

“When us players on the Oche, our mentality as a player is me,me.me. So we think everything from a dropped dart or darts rattle is all done to put us off. 

“When players could genuinely drop or rattle a dart accidentally.  

“So understand why in the heat of combat and adrenaline pumping, Gian saw Luke’s crowd ramping as that. I don’t see it as that, I’m sure many won’t agree.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.