Luke Littler: Barry Hearn says teenage darts star can change into a a number of world champion | Darts Information

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Promoter Barry Hearn says Luke Littler has taken darts “from a sport to mainstream” however the teen sensation “won’t monopolise” the sport like Phil Taylor did.

Littler rose to fame by embarking on a outstanding run to the ultimate of the PDC World Darts Championship earlier this 12 months.

Coming into the event ranked exterior the highest 100, the junior and world youth champion defeated Brendan Dolan, Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross on his option to the Alexandra Palace ultimate earlier than an agonising defeat to Luke Humphries.

Littler, nicknamed ‘The Nuke’, has gone on to win World Sequence titles in Bahrain and Poland in addition to European Tour occasions in Austria and Belgium.

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Littler and Lando Norris take one another on at a darts problem adopted by a sizzling lap across the Silverstone monitor

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Littler receives an surprising message of assist from WWE champion Cody Rhodes while being proven spherical their HQ!

And after being picked as a wild card for this season’s Premier League, the 17-year-old answered his critics by successful the title in his debut marketing campaign – and the £275k prime prize.

“There was some feeling within the Professional Darts Corporation ‘Is this a bit too early to put a youngster under that type of pressure?’ There were going to be 10,000 fans minimum every Thursday night for 17 nights – ‘Can he cope?’ ‘Will it affect his long-term future?’ blah, blah, blah,” Hearn, who’s the president of Matchroom Sport, informed Sky Sports activities.

“Eddie and I sat down to debate it and the very first thing Eddie mentioned was ‘It does not matter what age you might be, when you’re ok you are sufficiently old’ and our job is to offer individuals an opportunity and roll the cube and my phrase, did not that repay in spades!?

“The kid is a lovely boy. He’s a talent that’s going to be around for a long time. He’s not going to win every match because the standard of competition within darts is so enormous, so many great players, which is why it makes it such a superb sporting spectacle.”

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Littler gained the Premier League in his debut marketing campaign after defeating world No 1 Luke Humphries 11-7 within the ultimate

Hearn appears satisfied Littler has taken darts into the mainstream with the teenager sensation proving an inspiration for a lot of aspiring children.

He mentioned: “This young man has got his feet on the ground. He’s got the right attitude and behind Luke Littler are dozens of other Luke Littlers coming from all over the world and that’s the excitement.

“This sport of darts hasn’t actually began. Everybody thinks it is large and it’s however there is a lengthy, lengthy option to go.

“Littler took us from a sport to mainstream. All of a sudden kids were watching, nans and grandads, parents were watching. It became what we always look for in sport – a narrative. It’s about the personality and the stories behind the personality, getting people involved so they can enjoy the sport from several different angles.”

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Watch Littler’s nine-darter from all angles as ‘The Nuke’ hit perfection on Premier League Finals night time

Littler might have already joined Jude Bellingham on the Forbes 30 Below 30 Europe listing, however what does his future within the sport of darts maintain? Hearn does not assume the Warrington ace can catch Phil Taylor’s haul of 16 world titles.

“Phil Taylor’s title run is probably untouchable,” admitted Hearn. “The man was an absolute legend but the competition wasn’t as good then as it is now. Because these darts players are earning millions of pounds a year, have got a huge future, it’s attracted an awful lot of talent from a much wider range of people who want to try darts.

“It isn’t a tough sport to grasp, it is a very tough sport to grasp however we have now the power to consider that we’re utilizing unusual individuals however they’ve extraordinary potential, so I believe Luke Littler generally is a a number of winner. He will not monopolise however he could have intervals of domination.”

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Littler and Jose de Sousa have each hit sensational 120 finishes within the Premier League however who did it higher?

What’s subsequent on Sky Sports activities?

Luke Humphries - World Grand Prix Darts
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Luke Humphries lifted the World Grand Prix title in Leicester final 12 months

The 2024 BoyleSports World Grand Prix is subsequent on the Sky Sports activities darting calendar.

The annual £600,000 event will happen on the Mattioli Enviornment in Leicester from October 7-13, as 32 of the world’s prime stars compete for the coveted title which was gained by Luke Humphries.

Humphries celebrated his maiden TV rating title with victory over Gerwyn Worth in final 12 months’s event, and the world No 1 will return to defend his title later this 12 months.

Six-time champion Michael van Gerwen can also be set to star, with teenage celebrity Luke Littler poised to make his double-start debut within the East Midlands.

In a change to final 12 months’s format, Saturday’s semi-finals on October 12 will probably be contested over one of the best of 9 units, with the ultimate set to be performed over one of the best of 11 units on Sunday, October 13.

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This is a glance again eventually 12 months’s thrilling World Grand Prix ultimate in Leicester

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Have a look again on the breathtaking debut from Littler as {the teenager} made historical past on the World Darts Championship

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