Luke Littler forced darts rule change aged just 12 due to prodigious talent

Luke Littler became the youngest ever victor of the PDC World Darts Championship successful January, but the teen was breaking down barriers agelong earlier that triumph

Luke Littler's archetypal manager has revealed however ruled needed to beryllium changed to let the darts prima to instrumentality to the signifier astatine tournaments erstwhile helium was conscionable 12 years old..

Littler became the youngest ever PDC World Champion erstwhile helium beat Michael van Gerwen successful the 2025 final astatine the property of 17, conscionable 12 months connected from losing to Luke Humphries successful the Ally Pally showpiece. He was lone 9 erstwhile manager Karl Holden archetypal encountered him, though, and Holden saw the youngster's prime agelong earlier his circuit debut.

The Warrington pro won his archetypal rubric aged conscionable 14, beating Barry Copeland successful the last of the Irish Open. He took portion successful his archetypal WDF World Championship successful 2022, astatine the property of 15, and became the youngest ever subordinate to triumph a lucifer successful the competition.

Littler's emergence started adjacent earlier than that, though. He competed successful BDO and WDF events earlier making his PDC debut, with the archetypal of those coming arsenic a 12-year-old - thing which Holden admits threatened to origin problems.

"When I archetypal met him erstwhile helium was property nine, Luke and his member turned up for the darts academy," Holden told BBC Sport. "Somebody said he's rather bully successful the beginners' group, and I watched him and I was similar 'blimey'.

"Within 3 months helium was playing successful the under-21s connected the stage, which caused america a occupation due to the fact that we weren't allowed connected the signifier unless you were implicit 14, but we had to alteration the rules conscionable for him. We started pushing him to different forms of darts similar region darts and things similar that, conscionable trying to promote him to play against the men due to the fact that helium was conscionable excessively bully for the boys."

"He's inactive doing the small checkouts that cipher other ever did successful the past. He's ever loved to bash thing a spot antithetic and amusement what helium tin do, you know, and you request to beryllium clever to bash that and person the ability, and he's fortunate that he's got each them."

How galore much titles volition Luke Littler triumph this year? Have your accidental successful the comments section

After winning a fig of younker titles, including the PDC World Youth Championship successful 2023, Littler made his elder World Championship debut and made it each the mode to the final. That was the commencement of a breakout twelvemonth for the teenager, who was crowned Premier League Darts champion connected his archetypal quality successful the competition.

Since winning the worlds successful January, helium has reached the semi-finals of the Dutch Darts Masters and the quarter-final of the World Masters. He cruised done the aboriginal rounds successful the latter, lone to travel unstuck against eventual finalist Jonny Clayton.

Next up for The Nuke is the archetypal week of Premier League enactment arsenic helium sets retired to support his title. Van Gerwen awaits successful the archetypal circular successful Belfast, and the Dutchman has sent an aboriginal connection to his opponent.

"Whatever he’s done is great. It's nice. You can't comparison it with [Gary] Anderson, [Phil] Taylor, oregon maine yet,” the three-time satellite champion said.