Sporting Life
Luke Littler and Gian van Veen
Luke Littler and Gian van Veen

Gerwyn Price sticks up for Luke Littler over bad loser claims following controversial defeat to Gian van Veen in Manchester

By Chris Hammer
Darts
Fri April 03, 2026 · 41 min ago

Gerwyn Price defended Luke Littler over the heated last-leg decider that he lost to Gian van Veen on night nine of the Premier League in Manchester.

Littler has been widely criticised for how he seemingly tried to use the 'home' crowd to put off van Veen, who missed double 15 before directing a glare towards the world champion.

The antics didn't work as Littler spurned his own match darts in what proved to be his final visit to the board.

Van Veen later told Sky Sports: "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. 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.

"He was celebrating me missing double 15. That's out of order. I was fuming about that and he missed three darts at double seven. Then he looked at me like I was the problem. He is probably fuming. That's my perspective. His perspective is probably different.

"I love Luke to bits. All the attention he has brought to the sport is phenomenal, but today was my day."

Van Veen went on to lose the final to Price, who produced three fantastic displays to take all five points that moved him up to second in the table.

He said: "Things like this happen in darts, I'm sure in a couple of weeks it'll be done and dusted, gone and we'll move on. I've been in that situation, it's part and parcel. In darts emotions are high, it's a rollercoaster and people get hyped up.

"It is what it is. If you didn't have that reaction, sometimes you need to be a little bit pee'd off and get those reactions otherwise, what's the point?

"Do you not want to win that much? You'll probably regret some of the things you do, or the reactions you have then you think about it tomorrow.

"But if you're not up for it in the game, sometimes it happens. I don't think there's anything wrong with it, I've been there, the backlash of it, Luke will probably have it but in a couple of weeks, it'll be gone."

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Luke Littler has come under criticism for his conduct during the defeat to Gian van Veen in Manchester, but columnist Paul Nicholson feels it's being blown out of proportion.

Littler fumes after losing to van Veen

Luke Littler's temper spilled over during a dramatic quarter-final defeat to Gian van Veen on night nine of the Premier League in Manchester.

Premier League Darts 2026 results and table

The 2026 BetMGM Premier League Darts season runs from February 5 to May 28 so check out the fixtures, results, table, statistics, dates and venues.

Premier League Night Nine results

Quarter-Finals

  • Stephen Bunting 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
  • Gerwyn Price 6-2 Luke Humphries
  • Gian van Veen 6-5 Luke Littler
  • Josh Rock 6-4 Jonny Clayton

Semi-Finals

  • Gerwyn Price 6-2 Stephen Bunting
  • Gian van Veen 6-3 Josh Rock

Final

  • Gerwyn Price 6-2 Gian van Veen

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