Luke Littler criticizes dartboard replacement in championship final
Luke Littler has described the decision to swap out the dartboard during Saturday’s World Darts Championship final as excessive, reports BritPanorama.
The 18-year-old two-time champion expressed surprise at the interruption caused by referee George Noble, who ordered a replacement after noticing a small bloodstain on the board’s five segment. The unexpected decision clearly frustrated both competitors during the Alexandra Palace showpiece.
The source of the blood was later identified as Van Veen, who sustained an injury during the interval. The Dutch player explained that he had caught his left little finger on a toilet door, leading to the blood on the board.
“I went to the toilet, I got stuck with my left pinky on the door,” Van Veen recounted. “So I ripped it open and then my pinky hit the board.” He acknowledged the bizarre nature of the incident and conveyed the explanation to Littler, who remained puzzled by the officials’ decision to change the board.
Littler, demonstrating confidence in his performance, noted that the location of the blood would not affect his game. “I wasn’t going to hit a small five. I was always going to be in that 20 bed,” he remarked, adding that he was focused on the treble 20 area, effectively minimizing the impact of the event.
The young champion’s self-assurance proved well-founded as he went on to dominate the remainder of the contest against Van Veen, securing a commanding 7-1 victory. This win marked Littler’s place in darts history as the first player to successfully defend the Sid Waddell Trophy since Gary Anderson did so a decade ago.
The victory at Alexandra Palace not only solidified his status as the sport’s dominant force at just 18 years of age but also came with a £1 million winner’s cheque, adding to his impressive resume in professional darts. Despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the board change, Van Veen was unable to mount a serious challenge against the defending champion. How he bounces back next year remains to be seen.
In many ways, this incident served as a reminder of the peculiar nature of live sport, where even the smallest mishaps can momentarily derail the grand narrative, yet the show carries on, often in spectacular fashion.
