Luke Littler’s staggering impact on darts revealed as ‘people in remote Guatemalan villages’ know teen sensation

RUSS BRAY reckons the Luke Littler effect successful darts has been truthful transformative and far-reaching that “people successful distant Guatemalan villages person heard of” the teen sensation.

Known arsenic ‘The Voice’ of darts, husky-throated Bray retired arsenic a referee aft calling the shots successful the 2024 World Darts Championship final, which saw Luke Humphries bushed Littler 7-4 astatine Ally Pally.

During that tournament, past 16-year-old Littler raced to the last connected his debut appearance, knocking retired erstwhile satellite champions Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross on the way.

A highest assemblage of 4.8million radical watched the climax of the enactment astatine Ally Pally connected Sky Sports arsenic Bray went retired connected a precocious aft 28 years of calling checkouts.

After putting down the officials’ microphone for UK events and entering semi-retirement, Bray became a PDC ambassador and his task present is to instrumentality the athletics planetary and to far-flung places.

Writing successful his caller autobiography ‘All About Darts’, Bray reckons Littler is talented capable to spell connected to regularisation the oche similar 16-time satellite darts champion Phil Taylor erstwhile did.

Bray said: “Luke is simply a once-in-a-generation darts talent.

“After his World Championship final, helium was fixed a spot successful the 2024 Premier League. Some pundits wondered if helium was ready.

“Ha! He lone went and won the full thing, beating Luke Humphries successful the final, including a nine-darter, successful beforehand of 14,000 screaming fans astatine the O2.

“Luke has the attributes to go similar Phil Taylor and predominate darts for the adjacent 20 years.

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“Will helium privation to? Only helium tin reply that. But adjacent successful the archetypal fewer months of his career, the effect he’s had connected the athletics is unbelievable.

“In fact, here’s a thought, successful the not-too-distant future, I tin easy ideate a World Championship last betwixt Luke Littler and Beau Greaves.

"And however bully would that be? I mightiness adjacent travel retired of status to telephone that one.”

Bray, a erstwhile Metropolitan Police postulation officer, had the astir distinctive dependable successful darts.

The occupation has seen him telephone 180s connected oches successful places arsenic divers arsenic Australia, Japan, Dubai, Bahrain, Las Vegas and adjacent Mongolia.

This “pretty mean bloke” from Essex says helium has plans to instrumentality tungsten throwing astir the satellite successful his caller capableness arsenic a PDC ambassador.

Bray said: “I’ve been a fortunate sod with the champion spot successful the location to ticker darts turn from those humble beginnings to the planetary improvement it is now.

“And fto maine archer you, it’s been a chaotic journey.

“Where adjacent for darts? I honestly deliberation determination are nary limits.

"What astir Africa? The PDC has had 2 oregon 3 tournaments successful South Africa, which worked good and pulled large crowds. But Africa is simply a immense continent.

“I’m chatting to guys successful Chile astir trying to acceptable up a tourney there. Argentina, Brazil. It’d beryllium sensational to get things moving successful South America.

“And, arsenic acold arsenic I’m concerned, it’s a substance of not if, but when.

“Darts volition scope each 4 corners of the world, eventually. And if I tin assistance it on the way, truthful overmuch the better.”

All About Darts: The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Greatest Sport by Russ Bray (£16.99) is retired now.