Luke Humphries expects the recent disagreement between Luke Littler and Gian van Veen to blow over soon, saying it’s “hot news now, it’ll be gone next week.” The two players had a heated exchange during their Premier League match in Manchester, which was a repeat of January’s World Championship final.
After Van Veen disapproved of Littler’s reaction to missing a match dart, the world champion gestured for him to return to the oche. Despite the tense moments, Van Veen eventually won the quarterfinal 6-5, with Littler making a ‘cry baby’ gesture.
Both players, aged 19 and 23 respectively, hinted at a less friendly next meeting following the incident. Talking about the episode, Humphries mentioned that such emotional outbursts happen occasionally in darts due to the pressure of the game.
Despite the recent drama, Humphries remains focused on his form as the Premier League roadshow heads to Brighton for Night 10. Sitting sixth in the table, Humphries is determined to secure a spot in May’s Finals Night despite not having won a match yet.
While acknowledging the tough competition in darts, Humphries highlighted his achievements this year. He remains confident that his high performance level will eventually lead to success.
With Littler, Gerwyn Price, and Jonny Clayton leading the pack for the top spots, Humphries sees himself, Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, and Stephen Bunting vying for the remaining qualifying position for the tournament’s big night at the O2 Arena in May.
