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Luke Littler effect: Star inspires new generation
The founder of a darts academy says the performance of 16-year-old Luke Littler has created a surge in interest among young people.
Littler shot to fame earlier this month after becoming the youngest player ever to reach the final of the World Darts Championship (WDC).
Craig Neale runs the MK Sharks Junior Darts Academy in Bletchley and says 16 children have joined in the last two weeks alone.
He started the academy with six children in 2016 and now has 44 on his books - some as young as four.
鈥淲hat Luke has done for darts is amazing,鈥 Mr Neale told 大象传媒 Look East.
鈥淚 started this to give kids a chance when it was a pub sport, but it鈥檚 not a pub sport anymore, it鈥檚 a proper sport and they just love it.鈥
Eight-year-old Noah is one of the academy's most promising players and trains for two hours on weekdays and six hours on weekends.
鈥淚t helps me do maths and it鈥檚 the best sport in the world,鈥 he admitted.
鈥淟uke Littler has inspired me and I want to be playing at the PDC World Championship too in a few years鈥 time."
"I want to win. Everyone does don鈥檛 they?"
Noah is coached by Aaron Dunne, who works for Buckinghamshire County and trains the children at the academy.
鈥淭he explosion has been phenomenal,鈥 he said.
鈥淎fter Luke Littler everyone just wants to play darts. It鈥檚 great for the youth game.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the fame, the social media, and it鈥檚 great for socialising. These kids at the academy don鈥檛 live near each other, they come from 30 to 40 miles away and they all get on.
鈥淭hese clubs are thin on the ground but hopefully more might now open.鈥