Luke Littler explains World Championship tears as 'bottom's gone' moments make for 'toughest' game
Luke Littler has lifted the lid on the stresses that sparked his on-stage tears.
The Nuke admits to “bottom's gone” moments as the hype hit home over his return to the Ally Pally. Littler was overwhelmed at the attention, spotlight and expectation which accompanied his World Championship clash with Ryan Meikle. After winning, the 17-year-old had to cut short his live TV flash interview as emotion crashed onto him and he went to his parents in the VIP area where he was cuddled by mum Lisa. Littler explained: “Obviously, I drank my water [at the end] and I said to Abi [Davies] I’m ok. Soon as the question come, boom. Tears. I’m like: What are you doing? The fans were good then. It was just a bit too much to speak on stage after that.”
After some time to compose himself, Littler said: “I’ve never felt anything like that. It was probably the toughest game I’ve played.
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"It’s been a lot to deal with. It was good to be back leading-up, the train journey down. Then I got on stage and my bottom has gone a bit.
"Even practising on the stage was fine. Then [referee] George said 'game on', my bottom has gone again. I am thinking to myself, what are you doing? Just relax.
“It’s the worst game I have played. It might be as top as the first game in the Premier League in Cardiff against Luke Humphries. That was a nervy one, but I have never felt anything like that. It was a weird feeling and I somehow had to get over the line.”
Incredibly, despite feeling the anxiety, he still broke the World Championship record with a stunning last-set average of almost 141 and said: “I don’t know where I pulled it from. It’s getting headlines already. But I don’t want to know anything about that last set. Just the win.”
Littler wired a double 12 for a nine-darter during that ridiculous surge to the winning line as he almost emulated Christian Kist’s effort earlier in the week. He continued: “As soon as you make the switch to the treble 19s, your eyes light up. I heard that the camera panned round to the winner! So I am sorry whoever you are. I will try again.
“I watched it [Kist] at my friend’s house. I looked at my mates and said how has he done that? He was nowhere near last year, it just goes to show how well he plays this year. Fair enough to him, he is going to have a lovely vacation ahead.”
Littler will regroup to try and land the title and said: “I’m just me. I’ll never say I’m this or that. I’ll just see where my darts land.
“Christmas is coming up, I'll go home and get my head down in a proper bed at home. Chill out.
“I said it last year, win that first game and you are coming back after Christmas. I think this is going to be the most relaxed Christmas I am going to have.
“I have done everything I could have done this year. It has been really good. But to win Young Sports Personality of the Year is a massive achievement.
“I will never say I am going to win the World Championship. I know near-enough every player has got it in them to do it, but I will never come here after a game, especially like that, and say I will beat everyone. You just have to focus on the next game."
