Luke Littler Sets Sights on Bahrain Masters After Remarkable World Darts Championship Run

In a captivating display of darts prowess, the 16-year-old sensation, Luke Littler, captured the hearts of fans and garnered attention as he embarked on an impressive journey at the World Darts Championship. Despite narrowly missing the championship title, Littler’s achievements, including breaking records as the youngest player to win a match at Alexandra Palace, showcased his exceptional talent.

From his early days in the sport, Littler attributes much of his success to the guidance and coaching of Karl Holden, the mentor from the St Helens Darts Academy. Littler has been playing darts since childhood, and under Holden’s tutelage, he has flourished into a formidable force in the world of professional darts.

The promising teenager expressed his gratitude to Holden, stating, “It’s just all come from this man. We started off at the beginning, and this is where I am now.” Recognizing the pivotal role played by Holden in his development, Littler pledged a monetary gift to his coach in the event of a future World Darts Championship triumph.

Holden, who runs the St Helens Darts Academy, had watched Littler’s rise from the beginning. He remarked, “It’s always good being around him. We’ve always given the lad good advice, but to get to the final and watching him was pretty special for everybody.” Holden had identified Littler’s extraordinary talent at a young age, noting, “He was 10, and we had to shove him in the under-21s because his ability was just too good for anyone else.”

Before the final showdown at Alexandra Palace, Holden even had to adapt academy rules to accommodate Littler’s exceptional skills, stating, “We had a rule that you had to be over 15 to go on stage. But he broke all the rules. We had to put him up with the under-21s before he was age 11 because he was that good.”

Reflecting on Littler’s impact, he added, “He’s a sensational player and a naturally gifted player as well. It’s not been a huge surprise to those who really know him, but to the rest of the world, it’s a bit of a surprise how he’s done that well so quickly at the age of 16. I think this is just the start, to be honest. He’s not going down, and he’s not leveled off; he’s still going up and getting better, which must be a big concern for some of the PDC players he will be playing against next year.”

As Littler gears up for future competitions, including the Bahrain Masters, the partnership with his coach Holden remains a crucial aspect of his continued success in the world of professional darts.