16-year-old Luke “The Nuke” Littler has taken the world of darts by storm. And on Saturday night, he made more history.
– I do not know what to say. “It's absolutely unimaginable,” he told Sky Sports after securing a place in the World Cup quarter-finals.
The phenomenon Luke Littler has written himself into the darts history books and has become a fan favorite.
“You have to go to school tomorrow,” the crowd sang during the victory interview on Sky Sports earlier in the World Cup.
On Saturday evening, he met one of his childhood stars in the round of 16, Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld (56) – known as one of darts' truly great players with his five world championship titles.
Littler went 3-0 in sets – the first of 4. It appears to be a short process for the kebab-loving darts phenom.
– It's as if kebab shops close at 10, and he wants to do it before closing time, said Sky Sports commentator John Bart.
But the 56-year-old Dutchman fought back with a 3-1 win and stayed in the match.
But in the end, the 16-year-old was the stronger and reached the quarter-finals. He got a little whistle when he didn't go to the bullseye on the final round, but rather “secured it” by making an extra round.
Then he pointed to his head, smiled slyly, and placed the arrow that guaranteed his qualification to the quarter-finals of the World Cup. There he meets Brendan Dolan.
– He said I could go further (and win the WC title), Letlier says the role model said after the win.
It has been promoted as a phenomenon. People on social media refuse to accept the fact that he is only 16, and pictures of the darts thrower eating a kebab have gone viral.
And at Alexandra Palace in London, there is no doubt that the audience embraced him.
But the fame he achieved at this year's World Darts Championships also had a downside.
The money, interviews and place in the history books also brought a great deal of attention from the tabloids.
Among other things, the sun. The 16-year-old is pictured on the back of the newspaper, holding one of their issues and a kebab in his hands.
“Luke loves kebabs and sun,” the newspaper itself wrote as a headline. It has been controversial, as The Sun is not very popular in parts of England.
He blamed it all on X.
“The media attention is very new to me and I didn't fully understand what I agreed to. I am in no way involved in the photo or the caption that accompanies it.”
But it was just a drop in the bucket, an ongoing adventure for the 16-year-old.
“Infuriatingly humble internet trailblazer. Twitter buff. Beer nerd. Bacon scholar. Coffee practitioner.”
