How teen sensation Luke Littler took the wild world of darts by storm
Precocious darts phenom Luke Littler has been shot out of a cannon onto the global stage.
Littler, who is just 16, lost 7-4 to Luke Humphries in the finals of the World Darts Championship at the Alexandra Palace (known to the rowdy fans of the darts world as Ally Pally) in North London on Wednesday.
It capped off a remarkable run, as the youngest champion on-record is Michael van Gerwen, who won the event at 24 years old in 2014; the previous youngest runner-up was Kirk Shepherd, who was 21 when he lost in the final in 2008.
7Luke Littler reacts after the final of the Paddy Power World Darts Championship against Luke Humphries at Alexandra Palace, London. PA Images via Getty Images
7Luke Humphries celebrates with the trophy after beating Luke Littler in the final of the Paddy Power World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace, London PA Images via Getty ImagesNicknamed “The Nuke,” Littler takes home a prize of 200,000 ($253,000), while Humphries’ share for winning is 500,000 ($633,000),according to the Daily Mail.
While Littler’s rise was stunning to the general public, he was in some ways groomed for this destiny.
A viral video that made the rounds earlier in the tournament shows Littler throwing darts when he was only 18 months old.
Another photo posted by Littler’s mother, Lisa, last July showcases the photo the family took when the tot hit his first bullseye.
7Britain’s Luke Littler with the Runner Up trophy after losing to Britain’s Luke Humphries in the PDC World Darts final in London. ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
7Luke Littler reacts during his round 1 match against Christian Kist on day 6 of the 2023/24 Paddy Power World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace on Dec. 20, 2023. Getty ImagesLukes first ever bullseye always loved the bull pic.twitter.com/LOuyWJPCiv
— Lisa Littler (@LisaLittler3) July 3, 2023By 3 years old, Littler was mimicking the celebration of his idol Raymond van Barneveld.
In a truly surreal moment, Littler defeated van Barneveld, now 56, in the round of 16 of the present tournament.
Littler reportedly got his first darts board when he was 4 years old, and has been winning adult tournaments since he was 14, starting with the Irish Open in 2021, before adding victories in the “British Open, Modus Super Series (twice), Romanian Open and Gibraltar Open,” per the Daily Mail.
7Luke Littler of England celebrates during the 2023/24 Paddy Power World Darts Championship Final. Getty Images
7Luke Littler enters during his round 1 match against Christian Kist on day 6 of the 2023/24 Paddy Power World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace on December 20, 2023 in London, England. Getty Images3 years old i used to imitate @Raybar180 when he won the @OfficialPDC World Championship in 2007 13 years later i get to play the legend himself in the last 16 on the biggest stage of them all #TheNukesBarneyArmy@Garryplummer@TargetDarts@[email protected]/Km37pbJkpj
— Luke Littler (@LukeTheNuke180) December 29, 2023He has taken on a cult status for his personality away from the dart board as well, opting for celebratory doner kebabs after his victories, with ham and cheese omelette and pizza before his matches.
Originally built in the 1870s, Ally Pally began hosting the World Dart Championships in 2007, with a capacity of over 2,500, according to the BBC.
The crowds are wild, and if you watch videos of the competition with your eyes closed you can easily imagine the constant barrage of chants happening at an English Premier League game.
7Luke Littler of England celebrates winning his round four match against Raymond van Barneveld of Netherlands on day 13 of the 2023/24 Paddy Power World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace on December 30, 2023. Getty ImagesA takeaway has promised kebab-a-day darts sensation, Luke Littler, doner kebabs for life if he wins the World Championship. Hes known as 'The Nuke, presumably by people who've used the toilet after him pic.twitter.com/yyqeH4R5dQ
— Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews) January 2, 2024An unsuspecting parent described on a message board what it was like to happen upon the scene.
“We went to Ally Pally before Christmas, but to go to the theatre to watch A Christmas Carol so different part of the venue, but were unfortunate to be travelling on the same train as the darts crowd,” mumsnet.com poster edwinbear wrote in the forum on Wednesday.
“The behavior was absolutely shocking. Huge crowds of adults dressed up like ketchup/mustard bottles, Beefeaters, traffic cones etc, all absolutely wasted already, swigging cans of beer and shouting/jeering/chanting.”
One former champion, Gerwyn Price, admitted to Sky Sports that he almost sat out this year’s tournament because he was “a bit apprehensive” that “the crowd would be on my back”, but overcame his concerns and was relieved that the audience was more receptive to him this year.
The fans have unsurprisingly taken a major liking to Littler, chanting at him “You’ve got school in the morning!” after wins.
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