Sixteen-year-old Luke Littler is stealing the show at the World Darts Championship – and is now tipped as one of the favourites for the title.<\/p>\n
Nicknamed “The Nuke”, the teenager’s sensational performances have seen him storm into the third round and have won plaudits from his idol Phil “The Power” Taylor.<\/p>\n
Here’s everything you need to know about the sport’s new prodigy – from learning to play in nappies as a toddler to his celebratory meals going viral.<\/p>\n
Playing darts at 18 months old<\/strong><\/p>\n He may only be a teenager but Littler, from Warrington, Cheshire, has been practising his throwing for some time.<\/p>\n He told Sky News: “There’s a video on YouTube of me when I was 18 months in a nappy listening to Raymond van Barneveld’s music, listening to Phil Taylor’s music, doing their celebrations.<\/p>\n “That’s when it started – 18 months and in a nappy on a magnetic board.<\/p>\n “[Aged] four or five I was on a proper board but it was a bit low and then about seven to eight (years old), that’s when I started playing [at] the proper height and the proper length. So it’s just been all darts in my life so far.”<\/p>\n Talent is one thing, but having the right support system to nurture it is just as important.<\/p>\n The teen clearly thinks a lot of his parents, who he says are “proud” of what he’s achieved so far.<\/p>\n “They just can’t believe (it), I can’t believe it myself,” he told Sky News.<\/p>\n “But it’s just good to have a set of parents who are supportive and that are always there for me and I’ve got a good management team around me. So it’s just the best group of people that can be around me, to be honest.”<\/p>\n Viral celebrations<\/strong><\/p>\n A photo of Littler celebrating his first round win at the PDC World Dart Championships with a kebab went viral on social media.<\/p>\n The 16-year-old’s newly formed fan base probably expected a similar photo to come out after his second victory too, as he told Sky Sports he’d most likely tuck into another kebab to celebrate on Thursday night.<\/p>\n A plot twist came on Friday morning, though, as Littler revealed on Sky News that he opted for a different celebratory meal.<\/p>\n “Last night was just a standard KFC,” he boasted.<\/p>\n He’s clearly a down-to-earth lad, but with a World Darts Championship fixture looming over him until after Christmas, will Littler’s festive period feel a bit different to ours?<\/p>\n “It’s just like Christmas every year,” he said.<\/p>\n “Just chill, relax with the family, and obviously while they’re doing whatever, I’ll have to get on the board for a few hours each day and then obviously come back down, whenever the schedule’s next out.”<\/p>\n Fans and fame<\/strong><\/p>\n Littler’s celebrity status is rising with every dart he throws.<\/p>\n His Instagram account has gone from 4,000 followers at the start of this tournament to 23,500 and counting.<\/p>\n He told Sky News he could feel the nation’s support while on the big stage.<\/p>\n “Everyone’s cheering, wanting my autograph and everything,” he said.<\/p>\n “Even young kids having my darts shirt on\u2026 It was good to see when I stepped on the stage.”<\/p>\n He also talked about the popularity of his personalised “The Nuke” darts sets.<\/p>\n “After my first two games in Ally Pally, 900 sets sold,” he said. “People all over the world\u2026 [I] couldn’t believe it. 900 sets, for winning two games at the Ally Pally!”<\/p>\n His career so far<\/strong><\/p>\n Littler won his first match at the PDC World Championship on Wednesday, averaging an astonishing 106.12 in his demolition of former Lakeside champion Christian Kist in the first round.<\/p>\n He then held off a mid-match charge from the experienced Andrew Gilding to knock out the 20th seed with a 3-1 win on Thursday night.<\/p>\n Littler’s matches have seen the famously rowdy crowd at London’s Alexandra Palace (or Ally Pally) chanting: “You’ve got school in the morning.”<\/p>\n His early form means he’s suddenly on his way to being a household name, but his talent has been evident for some time.<\/p>\n He won the England Youth Grand Prix in 2019, became England Youth Open champion in 2021 and won his first senior title at the Irish Open later that year.<\/p>\n He won the Welsh Open in 2022 and this year notched further senior titles at the Isle of Man Classic, Gibraltar Open, British Open and British Classic.<\/p>\n The 16-year-old is also a back-to-back JDC World Champion and reigning World Youth Champion.<\/p>\n Littler’s got big dreams<\/strong><\/p>\n The rookie reckons he can go all the way this year, and bookies clearly agree – he’s their fifth favourite to take home the championship trophy.<\/p>\n “If my A-game is there throughout the tournament, then I don’t see why not,” he told Sky Sports News when asked if he backs himself to win it.<\/p>\n “I know I’ve got a good chance,” he went on.<\/p>\n “I just wanted to win my first-round game and then as soon as I got back to my hotel, I said to my dad, ‘let’s make sure we come back after Christmas’.<\/p>\n “Now I’ve overachieved and hopefully I can beat Matt [Campbell] and overachieve again.”<\/p>\n When asked about his hero Phil Taylor backing him to win the tournament, he added: “What Phil has said, it’s a nice thing. It’s unbelievable – my idol talking about me.<\/p>\n “I’ve got to beat whoever’s in front of me, and just got to go game by game and hopefully, I do win it.”<\/p>\n![\"Luke](\"https:\/\/e3.365dm.com\/23\/12\/768x432\/skynews-luke-littler-world-darts-championship_6400302.jpg?20231221092815\")
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