He was 2:4 behind and the final of the Darts World Championship in London’s Alexandra Palace was threatening to slip out of his fingers. But then Luke Humphries picked himself up, won the next five sets one after the other and, thanks to his brilliant comeback, was crowned champion of the Professional Darts Corporation. It was a thrilling and high-class final, at the end of which the 28-year-old favorite prevailed despite being temporarily behind. This is despite the fact that he admits that he thought about ending his professional career because of mental health problems.
A few years ago, Humphries spoke in an interview about his anxiety disorder and associated panic attacks. In some moments – especially under pressure – he felt an irrational fear of a heart attack. He took a break and came back stronger. “There was a time in my life when I was really depressed,” he told Sky Sports after his triumph. He felt too weak for the big stage. “The fact that I am now number one in the world and world champion has proven a lot in terms of my mental abilities.”
Cool head and steady hand
Today his nickname in the darts scene is “Cool Hand”. The Brit also had to demonstrate a cool head and a steady hand on Wednesday when his 16-year-old and also British challenger Luke Littler pushed him to the brink of defeat. Humphries praised Littler highly after the final. “You will never see a 16-year-old boy as down-to-earth as him again,” he said: “He is one of the best players in the world, there is no doubt about that.”
In England, Littler became a media sensation after unexpectedly reaching the final in his first World Cup appearance. Never before has a 16-year-old reached the final of a PDC World Championship. The youngest finalist to date was Kirk Shepherd, who reached the final in 2008 at the age of 21. On his way to the final, Littler eliminated some big names in darts such as five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld.
Former companions recognized his talent early on. At the age of 18 months, he started throwing darts at a magnetic dartboard. A video of this is circulating on social media. “And when he was 10, we knew he was too good for his age,” his former coach Karl Holden told the BBC. At the age of eleven, Littler was playing in U-21 tournaments.
At the start of the World Cup, the fans in the infamous “Ally Pally” teased Littler with chants: “You’ve got school in the morning,” they chanted in his direction – you have to go to school tomorrow. But with every victory he became more of a crowd favorite. “He is an absolute darts freak,” said former professional Wayne Mardle. Suddenly England was obsessed with him; it raised pay-TV ratings to the level of Premier League football and drove up demand for final tickets (and their prices).
Daniel Meuren Published/Updated: Published/Updated: Recommendations: 3 Published/Updated: Recommendations: 2
Because of this, the sport of darts is expecting a boom among children and young people. And Littler? He will receive 200,000 pounds (around 232,000 euros) for making it to the final; marketing experts predict significant income from advertising and sponsorship. He has gained around 700,000 new followers on Instagram. The teenager doesn’t seem to lose his grip on the ground. His rituals after winning World Cup games included a visit to the kebab shop next to the hotel and a can of Tango lemonade.
