The 2025 PDC World Darts Championship started in mid December 2024, and is about to wrap up. A year ago, a relatively unknown teenager, called Luke Littler, lost to Luke Humphries. Over the next 12 months, Littler (who will turn 18 on January 21) has become a celebrity in the darts world, and a cherished athlete in the UK.
Darts as a professional sport is not very popular outside of the United Kingdom, with the exception of the Netherlands, which has offered many of the world's top darts players like Michael van Gerwen. But it is big in England, specially thanks to people like Littler, who, at just 17, has broken countless PDC (Professional Darts Corporation) records.
The only major trophy he lacks is the World Championship, and he will have the opportunity to win it before he turns 18. He is the fan-favourite for the final tomorrow, Friday 3, but before that he will have to defeat Stephen Bunting in Thursday's semi-final.
The aforementioned Michael van Gerwen, the only player not from the United Kingdom from the top 8 of the World Championship, will also face Chris Dobey today. It will take place at 19:30 GMT (20:30 CET).