Darts star
After the World Cup final at 16: What’s next for Luke Littler?
Luke Littler celebrates with the trophy for second place. photo
© Zac Goodwin/PA Wire/dpa
Luke Littler’s story will be remembered even without a world title. The 16-year-old has a bright future in darts ahead of him. The world champion is full of euphoria.
With his unexpected winning streak at the World Cup Luke Littler sparked a huge darts hype in England. The ratings on TV were better than in the days of legend Phil Taylor, and various media started reporting at short notice on site in London during the final days.
After the 16-year-old Englishman’s 4:7 defeat in the final against Luke Humphries, the hype will probably die down for the time being – especially since there will be no big or important events in the coming weeks. Then the question will arise: What happens next for “The Nuke” after he came very close to the greatest triumph in his sport as a teenager?
Big tournaments
Littler improves to 31st place in the rankings thanks to the 200,000 pounds (around 230,000 euros) for reaching the World Cup final. This makes him a candidate for many important ranking tournaments in the future. The super talent is not yet qualified for the Masters in Milton Keynes at the beginning of February, but his debut at important tournaments such as the World Matchplay, the Grand Slam or the Premier League is only a matter of time.
Appearances in Germany
Littler should also be visible to German fans soon. There are various stops on the European Tour that the youngster could take with him. The two most important tournaments in this country are the Team World Cup and the European Championships. While the team World Cup in Frankfurt in June may come too early for Littler given the high level of competition in the English team, he could definitely qualify for the European Championships in Dortmund in October. Littler is likely to become a regular at the World Cup with 96 participants anyway.
That’s what the other professionals say
They’re thrilled. World champion Humphries raved about Littler’s style and said: “Luke is an incredible talent. It’s not just about the sport, but also his demeanor. He’s mastered it all brilliantly.” Veteran Stephen Bunting predicted with a view to the World Cup: “I’m sure Luke Littler will lift this trophy one day.”