LUKE Littler has once again moved darts from the back pages. This time however its the financial and buisness sections that features the 17-year-old darting phenomenon. The Nuke has been named alongside England footballers Jude Bellingham and Alessia Russo and F1 driver Lando Norris in Forbes’ Under 30 Europe Class of 2024.
Littler shot to stardom by reaching the 2023/24 World Darts Championship final and has since made a seamless transition to a full-time career on the PDC circuit.
The 17-year-old has landed nine-darters in winning the Bahrain Darts Masters and Belgian Darts Open, and currently heads the Premier League table during his debut season.
Littler has also appeared on “The Jonathan Ross Show” and was part of “Comic Relief” last month, has seen his Instagram following soar beyond 1.3 million fans and been interviewed by a host of high-profile podcasts and publications in recent months.
During darts’ development, in the modern era, several players have crossed into more mainstream coverage for short periods. Eric Bristow in the 1980s and Phil Taylor in the 2000s garnered front page coverage, TV appearances and more general commercial activity that the sport had seen previously, but neither had the advantages off age, exposure and positive atmosphere that the PDC’s global machine has offered Warrington’s wonder boy.
Global media brand Forbes have listed Littler in their Under 30 Europe Class of 2024, which highlights “the latest class of young disruptors and changemakers who are redefining their respective fields”.
Littler is joined in the Sports & Games category by footballers including Bellingham, Russo and Vinicius Jnr, F1 star Norris and two-time tennis Grand Slam winner Aryna Sabalenka.
Click here to see the Forbes Under 30 Europe Class of 2024.
—–ENDS—–
Grab the current print issue 585 here or a 50th Anniversary Darts World bundle 581 here
The Darts World 50 limited edition dart set is available to order (Here) in your choice of pack
