How omelettes and pizza powered 16-year-old Luke Littler to darts stardom

Darts sensation Luke Littler says a diet of omelettes and pizza was behind his unlikely world-title shot, as the 16-year-old stays hungry for future success.

A diet of cheese and ham omelettes and pizza fuelled teen sensation Luke Littler’s incredible run to the final of the World Darts Championship.

The 16-year-old from Runcorn in England’s northwest has taken the roof off the sport’s spiritual home at London’s Alexandra Palace over the last fortnight, becoming the youngest player to reach the decider of darts’ premier tournament.

On Wednesday night he fell agonisingly short of producing one of the great sporting stories when he lost 7-4 in the final to world No.1 Luke Humphries.

Success, at least for British sports fans, would have rivalled unseeded teen Emma Raducanu’s out-of-left-field US Open grand slam win in 2021.

It is unlikely Raducanu had pizza before every match of her New York fairytale, but that diet worked wonders for Littler - whose rivals collapsed like dominoes on his run to the final.

“I’ll keep doing what I have been doing,” the youngster said after his semifinal win over former champion Rob Cross.

“I don’t wake up until 12 ... go for my ham and cheese omelette, come here and have my pizza, and then go on the practice board,” he said.

“It is what I have been doing every day - if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

The teenager has earned celebrity status and his exploits have transcended the world of darts, with the sport already appealing to a younger generation of fans thanks to the raucous atmosphere at events.

Broadcaster Sky Sports reported they had an 18.5 per cent share of all under-35 viewing in the UK for Littler’s New Year’s Day quarter-final win over Brendan Dolan.

Littler qualified for the tournament by winning the World Youth Championship in November.

After a scintillating run to the showpiece match, he was finally tamed by Humphries in the final as the world No.1 lived up to his newly minted status.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t give the crowd what they wanted,” the 16-year-old said as fans roared their approval.

“It’s been unbelievable, I just wanted to win one game and come back after Christmas, that was the only goal I set. This is a massive bonus.

“No one likes losing, I have not really lost much, so to lose on that stage I can’t really be angry. (But) I have won six games here so why can’t I go and win seven in years to come?

“The past three to four weeks have been unbelievable. Now I just can’t wait to go home.”

His final conqueror Humphries has no doubt Littler will remain a darts force for years to come.

“He is an incredible talent. I had to win this one tonight,” the man known as ‘Cool Hand’ said after lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy.

“He is going to win plenty that’s for sure.

“We will never see the likes of him again at that age, to go up on the world stage and produce those darts in the final.

“I love the kid to bits, he is a real credit.”

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission