Heartbreaking moment darts wonderkid left in floods of tears after missing chance to follow in Luke Littler’s footsteps

DARTS wonderkid Jurjen van der Velde was near devastated aft missing retired connected becoming the World Youth Champion.

Van der Velde, 21, narrowly missed retired connected the title aft losing 6-5 to chap Dutchman Gian van Veen astatine Butlin's Minehead Resort.

Van der Velde was warring backmost the tears connected the oche aft missing 5 lucifer darts to springiness up the rubric and miss retired connected a hefty stock of the £100,000 prize pot.

The right-handed tungsten thrower was successful the driving spot for overmuch of the face-off but couldn't get himself implicit the enactment and travel successful the footsteps of immoderate of darts' champion players.

Luke Littler was the youngster who won past year's Youth Championship, securing a spot astatine the World Championship arsenic a effect and kickstarting his meteoric emergence to World No.5.

Other erstwhile winners see the likes of Michael Smith and Luke Humphries who person some gone connected to triumph the World Championship since their younker level success.

Van der Velde was intelligibly upset astatine the world of missing retired connected joining that database of erstwhile champions and fto retired a fewer tears successful beforehand of the assemblage astatine Minehead.

Opponent Van Veen offered him a enarthrosis and immoderate enactment arsenic helium comforted his compatriot astatine the oche alternatively of celebrating his ain success.

The prima was lauded arsenic "classy" and "humble" connected societal media acknowledgment to his kindhearted absorption to his opponent's tears.

And helium adjacent went arsenic acold arsenic saying that Van der Velde was deserving of the triumph successful his post-match interview.

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The 22-year-old, who mislaid to Littler's successful past year's final, said: "I stole it today.

"Jurjen played fantastic darts and helium kept maine nether unit for the full match.

"He deserved to beryllium the victor contiguous - I consciousness for him, but helium missed his chances and I took mine."

Van der Velde's decision besides means helium hasn't secured qualification for the World Championship and volition present request to caput to Wigan this week to effort and gain a spot successful the prestigious contention done qualification.

And Van Veen, who had already earned his spot astatine the Worlds, was sympathetic with Van der Velde's position.

He added: "No [it's not a bully feeling to lose], and I deliberation helium adjacent feels much heartbroken contiguous than I felt past year.

"Last twelvemonth I knew I was qualified for the World Championship and it was lone my archetypal twelvemonth arsenic a Tour paper holder.

"But, for him, helium inactive has to suffice for the World Championship truthful helium needs to spell to Wigan time for the World Championship qualifiers.

"If helium had deed conscionable 1 of those lucifer darts helium wouldn't person to spell to Wigan and possibly determination was a accidental helium could person saved his Tour card.

"I'm heartbroken for him, but it's a cruel athletics and you lone person to deliberation astir yourself. I'm blessed with this triumph but I conscionable person mixed feelings".