Luke Littler: The 16-year-old darts sensation who took the PDC World Championship by storm
The photograph was taken from the Getty Images website.
Luke Littler's existence has undergone a significant transformation following an exceptional 21-day stay at the PDC World Championship.
At the young age of 16, Luke Littler made an amazing debut at the PDC World Darts Championship and left a mark in the competition.
The adolescent missed out on being the youngest world champion in his sport by a single victory, succumbing to a 7-4 loss to Luke Humphries in a thrilling final at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday.
Littler has gained the interest of sports enthusiasts who aren't typically interested in darts by stating his intentions to begin taking driving lessons on his 17th birthday later this month.
Michael van Gerwen was the youngest champion ever, only 24 years and nine months old when he achieved his first title in 2014. However, Littler, who won an impressive £200,000 for making it to the final, still has enough time to win the tournament before he turns 24.
He manages to win it numerous times despite having a busy schedule.
BBC Sport delves deep into the rising talent of the world of sports.
Before making his debut at the World Championship, Littler had participated in just four senior games at PDC premier events.
He earned a spot at the UK Open on January 2023, which happened to be his 16th birthday. Come March, he made it to the fourth round of the tournament, but ultimately lost to up-and-coming Czech player Adam Gawlas.
Littler has been doing really well at the World Championship this year. He has managed to average 100 or more points in three out of five matches. This puts him in an elite group of only two players who have achieved this feat during the tournament.
On the 20th of December, he managed to secure a victory against Christian Kist in the first round of the World Championship, thus earning himself the title of the youngest player to ever achieve this feat.
Perhaps his greatest triumph happened when he defeated his childhood hero, five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld, which led him to the final 16.
He continued his impressive streak by defeating Brendan Dolan from Northern Ireland with a score of 5-1 in the quarter-finals. However, he fell short in the semi-finals and lost 6-2 to Cross.
Littler has gained a lot of attention on social media, going viral and attracting over 300,000 Instagram followers. Notably, one of his followers is footballer James Maddison. Recently, Maddison invited Littler to join him in watching Tottenham Hotspur's win over Bournemouth on Sunday.
Check out this adorable home video footage of Luke Littler when he was just a baby playing darts like a pro! It's so cute to see his tiny hands holding onto the dart and throwing it towards the board. It's amazing to see how talented he was even at such a young age. The video is definitely worth a watch!
Littler's Inevitable Success
A lot of the top athletes across the globe kickstart their professional journeys during their early years. Littler's initial exposure to darts was also at an incredibly young age of just 18 months.
The child, born in Runcorn and currently residing in Warrington, started throwing darts at a magnetized board and has been playing non-stop ever since.
"We could tell that he possessed extraordinary talent for his age," said Karl Holden, who previously coached Littler at the St Helens Darts Academy, during an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live.
Until he was 16, he wasn't eligible to participate in PDC or significant competitions. Thus, we permitted him to have fun and improve his skills gradually. Consequently, he has climbed up the ladder of success.
"He started playing in the under-10s league and then moved on to the under-14s league. He was so skilled that he began playing in the under-21s league before he turned 11, leaving all his opponents behind in terms of ability."
Littler has been very successful in their career, earning a total of 12 titles meant for adults and even winning the PDC World Youth Championship in 2023. Their trophy cabinet is quickly filling up with all of these achievements.
When he was 14 years old, he successfully threw a nine-dart finish at the Junior Darts Corporation (JDC) Masters Tournament, which showcased his clear aptitude for the sport.
Holden was very sure that even though Littler is young, he has the ability to become the champion of this year's World Championship.
Many individuals at the darts store were inquiring about the identity of Luke Littler, but the speaker maintained that he had potential as an underdog.
A lot of people were unaware of his identity, but I believe that his name is now recognizable to almost everyone. He seems to make frequent appearances on the television whenever I turn it on.
The picture was provided by Robin Jones who is associated with AFC Bournemouth.
During Tottenham's victory over Bournemouth, Littler and his family had the privilege of sitting alongside James Maddison, Tottenham Hotspur and England midfielder.
Littler undeniably possesses talent, however his magnetic personality and affable nature have been instrumental in propelling him to newfound stardom.
He has enjoyed the attention at this year's event, particularly the humorous comments from supporters who playfully exclaimed "you ought to be in bed early" while he was playing.
Just last summer, he completed his GCSEs and is now completely dedicated to pursuing his darting career.
Following his victory over Andrew Gilding in the second round, Littler decided to indulge himself with "a kebab and a can of Tango," to celebrate. As a result of this, a kebab establishment based in London reached out and offered him unlimited kebabs for the rest of his life as a token of appreciation.
Apart from playing darts, Littler claims that he lives a fairly uncomplicated life.
"I simply wake up, enjoy some game time on my Xbox, grab a bite to eat and skate around for a bit. Then I hit the hay and call it a day," he stated.
During the tournament, Lisa, the mother of the contestant, expressed her belief that her son is now capable of winning. She confidently stated on Sky Sports that he can progress until the end because he gets more competitive when playing against tougher opponents.
Littler's style has made him receive lots of compliments from various individuals in the darts community, including Wayne Mardle, who has reached the semi-finals of the World Championship five times.
"He's a complete enthusiast when it comes to darts - and that's a way of showing affection," expressed Mardle.
The entire globe ought to pay attention and acknowledge his actions.
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On his journey towards the final on Wednesday, Littler managed to score an average of over 100 in four of his matches.
Littler made an impressive climb in the rankings, now sitting amongst the top 32 players. This is an incredible feat considering they began the tournament ranked as the 164th player in the world. As a result, Littler is expected to secure a professional tour card for the 2024 season, valid for one year.
He may have the opportunity to participate in the esteemed Darts Premier League, a prominent sporting event that occurs in various arenas across Europe during the months of February to May.
The competition is solely available to eight athletes, yet Littler has proposed that it could be overly challenging for him at this point in his professional journey.
"I've witnessed the impact that being a part of the Premier League has on your reputation," he expressed.
On Monday and Tuesday, there will be professional tours, whereas on Wednesday, there are Euro qualifiers along with the exciting Premier League matches. And finally, for the weekend, the Euro Tour is set to take place.
In my opinion, the PDC is likely to exclude me from the event, as it has been suggested that participating would be very demanding.
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