Luke Littler to face 14-year-old in darts final with youngster 'confident' of beating WDC finalist

Luke Littler to face 14-year-old in darts final with youngster 'confident' of beating WDC finalist

WATCH NOW: Luke Littler speaks after losing in the World Championship final

Lewis Winter

By Lewis Winter


Published: 05/01/2024

- 12:56

The teenager will come up against a player younger than him in February

Luke Littler will take on a 14-year-old in the final of a youth competition next month following his success at the World Darts Championship.

Littler has been named as a wildcard in the Premier League of darts but will still take part in the Junior Darts Corporation's Super 16 final on February 4.


The 16-year-old shocked the world of darts with his performances at Alexandra Palace.

He became the youngest player to win a match at the tournament before beating two former champions on his way to the final.

Luke Littler

Luke Littler will play a 14-year-old in a youth final next month

Getty

Luke Humphries was too good on Wednesday night, as he stormed to a 7-4 win and become world champion for the first time.

However, Littler is widely expected to have a big future in darts and will now have a PDC Tour card after climbing into the top 32 of the Order of Merit.

The PDC announced on Thursday that Littler was one of the four wildcards for the Premier League, which runs for 17 consecutive Thursdays between February 1 and May 23.

However, just three days after his debut at the tournament, he will be back competing at youth level.

Littler faces Joseph Westby, 14, in the Super 16 final on the same night of the final of the PDC Masters in Milton Keynes.

Keith Brunt, the director of Blackburn Youth Darts Academy, claims Westby is one of the best darts players he has seen at his age and is prepared for the challenge.

Brunt told MailOnline: "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity really, because in no other JDC event has a final ever been played where a kid is playing now what is a professional player like Luke.

"He's excited. Obviously, he knows it's going to be a challenge.

"He's going to work hard to prepare which he is doing. He is practicing three hours a day.

"He's confident and he's looking forward to it. He knows what Luke's like as a player.

"He knows he has got a challenge on his hands but he is up for it, and he is fairly confident which is great for his age.

"He's only been at the academy for about a year and a half.

"He's been playing darts for about 2 years. He's progressed and developed really quickly on a really fast scale due to having natural talent.

"Out of all the kids I've ever come I've come across, he's one of the best I've ever seen."

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Joseph Westby and Luke Littler

Luke Littler will play 14-year-old Joseph Westby in a youth final

JDC

Westby has been been signed onto Target Darts' Elite One pathway initiative, the same programme Littler is on.

The pair won their respective Super 16 semi-finals on November 4 last year.

Brunt insists Westby is confident of pulling off a huge upset.

He added: "He [Joseph] has said just see what happens on the day. He's going to play his own game.

"He's not going to focus on what Luke's doing. He's just going to play his own game and then keep focused on that, and hopefully he can do it.

Luke Littler

Luke Littler stunned the darting world at Alexandra Palace

PA

"It'd be amazing if he can do it, you know. I think the response will be even bigger if he does do it.

"He'll get his name more out there than it is now. He'll be more recognised.

"And I think it'll boost him as well, and he'll just go further and further then."

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