Young dart prodigy 'Luke the Nuke' secures a £200,000 prize at the world championship.

 

Darts may have originated as a British pub game, but at the age of 16, Luke Littler, who recently lost in the World Championship final, is still too young to legally purchase an alcoholic drink. 

Despite his youth, Littler's impressive journey to the all-English final at London's Alexandra Palace, where he narrowly lost to world number one Luke Humphries, earned him a £200,000 (231,941 euros) runners-up prize just months after completing his high school exams.

Notably, Premier League footballers like Luke Shaw of Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville, and Jonny Evans have reached out to Littler, who gained significant social media following after his remarkable performance. 

His road to becoming the youngest world finalist in darts involved defeating five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld and 2018 champion Rob Cross in the semi-final.

For darts enthusiasts, the game requires fine motor skills and mathematical knowledge, with professional players facing the challenge of competing in front of lively and often alcohol-fueled crowds. 

The objective is to hit specific small targets from a distance of seven feet, aiming to reach exactly zero points in the fewest number of darts, concluding on a double or the central bullseye. Each player takes turns throwing three darts, with the highest possible total being 180 – achieved by hitting three treble sections.

In his twenties, Littler, also known as 'Luke the Nuke,' achieved an impressive 16 180s against Cross.

Promoter Barry Hearn, influential in snooker's rise to UK television popularity in the 1980s, has characterized darts as "the working man's golf." However, some question whether the lack of physical activity qualifies darts as a true sport.

 Littler's pre-match routine, including waking up at noon, having a ham and cheese omelette, pizza, and practicing on the board, may not convince skeptics. He is also known for celebrating victories with a post-match kebab.

Despite such debates, the Economist, known for political analysis, featured this year's World Championship for its "debauched collision of fancy dress (the fans) and elite sport." British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak congratulated Littler after the final, calling it an incredible end to a historic championship.

Littler's success is not a sudden phenomenon; he began playing as a young boy and joined the St Helens Darts Academy at the age of nine. Academy co-founder Karl Holden remarked on Littler's exceptional talent, noting that even as a child, he displayed remarkable skills, eventually joining the elite group at just ten years old.