Littler was defeated by Luke Humphries, the world No 1 darts champion, in a nailbiting finale at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday night after a winning streak that generated unprecedented media attention and public interest in a sport generally considered niche.
Despite his loss, many think the tournament's real star was the teenager from Warrington - and speaking to reporters yesterday, Littler said he agreed. "It's unbelievable, it's crazy to think the runner-up is bigger than the winner,”" he said.
"I was going into the game [thinking that] in a win or lose situation, I was always going to come out happy.
It was a bit gutting standing there on my own watching Luke lift the trophy but he deserved it. He was the better man on the night, but I'm happy with runner-up. I was happy with winning one game, but getting to the final was just the bigger bonus."
Littler said he believed the secret to his early success was continuing to play during the Covid-19 lockdowns, when many young people gave up owing to rows over webcam cheating.
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin January 05, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin January 05, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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