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📻 IMPORTANT AUCKLAND UPDATE 📻
Luke 'The Nuke' makes it back-to-back world darts titles
AP • January 4th, 2026 11:20 am
England's Luke Littler dominated to win his second world darts championship title | Photo: AP
Luke Littler is a back-to-back world darts champion at the age of 18.
The English world No.1 beat Gian van Veen of the Netherlands 7-1 in the final at London's Alexandra Palace on Saturday (Sunday NZ time) to secure a record winner's prize of one million pounds ($A2,012,000) and underline his status as a generational talent in the sport.
It was Littler's third straight appearance in the final of darts' showpiece tournament. He lost to Luke Humphries in 2024 - as a precocious 16-year-old who quickly became a household name across Britain - and defeated Michael van Gerwen last year.
Twelve months later and now the world's top-ranked player, Littler - nicknamed "The Nuke" - has become the 16th player to win multiple men's world titles.
Such is Littler's talent that many are already wondering whether he can challenge the 16 world titles collected by Phil Taylor, darts' greatest ever player.
Littler dropped the first set in the best-of-13-set showdown but hit back to stamp his authority on 23-year-old Van Veen who had no answer to Littler's relentless scoring.
He is the first player to win back-to-back titles since Scotland's Gary Anderson in 2016.
"The first set I wasn't happy but I kicked on from there and said to myself give it time and you'll find it and it all went to plan," Littler said on stage.
"Credit to Gian, he's had a great tournament. He was there every set so I had to take my chances."
In the presence of World Darts champions Luke Littler and Luke Humphries | Millsy & Guy
