Good afternoon and welcome to our live updates of the World Darts Championship Final happening at Alexandra Palace tonight.
Luke Littler has achieved a remarkable feat by reaching three consecutive finals and securing back-to-back world titles. He dominated Gian van Veen in a 7-1 victory, earning £1 million in prize money and claiming the prestigious Sid Waddell Trophy.
Following this win, the 18-year-old has now taken the top spot in the world rankings, while van Veen has moved up to third place globally and holds the number one position in the Netherlands.
In the semi-finals, ‘The Nuke’ defeated Ryan Searle with a 6-1 score, while Gian van Veen, who reached his first World Championship Final and second major final, triumphed over Gary Anderson in a thrilling 6-3 match.
Despite having an advantage in their head-to-head record, van Veen couldn’t match Littler’s exceptional performance. Littler won seven consecutive sets with an average score of 106.02, hitting 16 180s, 19 140s, and achieving a 46% success rate on doubles.
The World Darts Championship has concluded with Luke Littler successfully defending his title. Stay tuned for the upcoming Premier League Darts starting next month for more exciting darts action.
The Premier League lineup for the darting roadshow will be revealed on Monday afternoon, featuring top players like Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen, and Michael van Gerwen.
With two PDC world titles under his belt, Luke Littler is aiming to further his success, although he still trails behind Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen in total championships won.
In a gracious defeat, Gian van Veen acknowledged Littler’s exceptional performance, stating that he missed key opportunities during the final match. He expressed pride in reaching the final and achieving the third position in the world rankings.
Moreover, Luke Littler received the Ballon d’Art for the most 180s in the tournament, totaling 73, while Gary Anderson closely followed with 59. The tournament raised £1.1 million for Prostate Cancer UK through 1127 180s.
Luke Littler commemorated the passing of Anthony Joshua’s friends and paid tribute by quoting the boxer’s famous phrase, “The first time was so nice, I had to do it twice.”
By securing back-to-back world titles, Luke Littler has solidified his position as the new world number one in darts, marking a historic achievement in his career.