‘Luke the Nuke’ still living his teenage darts dream

‘Luke the Nuke’ still living his teenage darts dream
Luke Littler of England with the trophy after winning the final against Michael van Gerwen of the Netherlands at the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in London Friday. (AP)
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Updated 04 January 2025
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‘Luke the Nuke’ still living his teenage darts dream

‘Luke the Nuke’ still living his teenage darts dream
  • This time last year he had surged through the field as a 66/1 outsider, becoming the undisputed fans’ favorite at Alexandra Palace in north London
  • Littler came above British prime minister Keir Starmer and King Charles in Google’s most searched for people of 2024 in the UK

LONDON: Luke Littler has become world champion of darts, a sport that has its origins as a British pub game, before the English 17-year-old can legally buy an alcoholic drink in his homeland.

Yet, despite his tender age, Littler has had a long apprenticeship in the sport given, as shown by family videos, he first started playing darts when still a nappy-clad toddler.

This time last year he had surged through the field as a 66/1 outsider, becoming the undisputed fans’ favorite at Alexandra Palace in north London, before world No. 1 Luke Humphries defeated him in the final.

But such was Littler’s impact as a breakout performer that even those not normally interested in darts were aware of his achievement in becoming darts’ youngest world finalist.

Suddenly, Littler found himself being invited onto television chat shows with Hollywood movie stars. It all led to the modest Humphries joking about how people who engaged in conversation with him discovering they were talking to the “wrong Luke.”

Littler came above British prime minister Keir Starmer and King Charles in Google’s most searched for people of 2024 in the UK, behind only Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Donald Trump.

But the boy from Warrington, an industrial town between Liverpool and Manchester, is no longer a surprise package in an unforgiving test of accuracy where the distance between success and failure is measured in fractions of an inch.

To its supporters, darts is a game of fine motor-skills allied to mathematical knowledge, made all the harder at professional level by the players being cheered on by raucous and often alcohol-fueled crowds.

Players try to hit specific small targets while standing over seven feet (2.37 meters) from the board where the most valuable ‘treble’ sections are also the smallest.

The aim is to go from 501 to exactly zero in the fewest number of darts while finishing either on a double on the outer edge of the board or the central bullseye.

Each player takes turns to throw three darts, with the highest total possible 180 — three treble 20s.

Littler, nicknamed ‘Luke the Nuke’, admitted the occasion had got to him after he won his opening match of the 2024/25 World Championship against Ryan Meikle.

“It is probably the biggest time it’s hit me,” he said. “It has been a lot to deal with.”

Yet he still posted a tournament record three-dart average of 140.91 in the fourth set.

And come the semifinals, Littler thrashed world No. 5 Stephen Bunting 6-1 in sets.

A final against Michael van Gerwen was billed as a much tougher contest, with the Dutchman going into the game as the youngest world champion to date after winning the title as a 24-year-old in 2014.

Yet the three-time winner was blown away as Littler surged into a 4-0 lead and showed no nerves to close it out 7-3.

“I sometimes say every 17 years a star gets born and he’s one of them,” said Van Gerwen.

Littler’s fame isn’t simply built upon his undoubted skill.

In an age where many sportsmen become detached from the communities they have grown up, he remains a relatable figure, although nutritionists may be aghast at the pre-match routine he outlined a year ago.

“I don’t wake up until 12, in the morning go for my ham and cheese omelette, come here and have my pizza, and then go on the practice board,” said Littler, also known for celebrating his victories with a post-match kebab.
 


Jannik Sinner all set for Rome Open after doping ban

Jannik Sinner all set for Rome Open after doping ban
Updated 06 May 2025
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Jannik Sinner all set for Rome Open after doping ban

Jannik Sinner all set for Rome Open after doping ban
  • Sinner was welcomed back to action on Monday by thousands of fans who watched his first training session at the tournament on center court at the Foro Italico
  • Sinner: I’m very happy, happy to be back here. It has been a very long, long three months

MILAN: Jannik Sinner is the star of the show at the upcoming Rome Open as the world No. 1 and Italian tennis hero gears up for his return to the courts after a contested doping ban.

Away from the game since agreeing a suspension with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in February, Sinner was welcomed back to action on Monday by thousands of fans who watched his first training session at the tournament on center court at the Foro Italico.

Such is the interest in Sinner, who has become a national hero in Italy since rising to the top of the men’s game, that Sky Sport broadcast the practice match with world No. 38 Jiri Lehecka live on television.

All eyes will be on the 23-year-old as he hasn’t swung a racket since retaining his Australian Open title in January, a victory which took his Grand Slam tally to three.

“I’m very happy, happy to be back here. It has been a very long, long three months,” Sinner told reporters in a packed conference room inside the center court.

Fans in Rome have waited two years to see Sinner play their clay court tournament after he missed last year’s edition, won by Alexander Zverev, with injury.

It is on a surface which is not his favorite and his rustiness was clear to see on Monday.

Only one of Sinner’s 19 titles has come on clay, in Umag back in 2022, the same year as his best result in Rome, a quarter-final exit at the hands of beaten finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas.

However he does have some time before he finally takes to the court, his status as the top-ranked player on the men’s tour allowing him a bye into the second round which starts on Friday.

Sinner has been fortunate that none of his rivals took advantage of his enforced pause, with second-ranked Zverev still almost 2,000 points behind the man who beat him in the Australian Open final.

Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz is yet to arrive in Rome after withdrawing from the Madrid Open while Novak Djokovic will have to wait a bit longer for his 100th ATP title after deciding to sit out a tournament he has won six times.

Sinner is eyeing a run at the French Open, the second Slam of the season which follows the Rome tournament.

“My objective is Roland Garros, I’m here to see what level I’m at,” said Sinner.

“I’m not here to beat whoever, but to get past the second round and then see what happens.”

Sinner’s rise to the top of the game in 2024, when he won eight titles including his first two Slams and the ATP Finals, was dogged by the controversy which followed his two positive tests for traces of clostebol in March last year.

He said last month he hit “rock bottom” at the most recent Australian Open, saying he felt like other players “looked at me differently.”

Sinner was aggrieved as he feels he did nothing wrong, and WADA said explicitly he “did not intend to cheat,” accepting he was contaminated by his physiotherapist using a spray containing the banned substance to treat a cut before providing a massage.

Regardless, he also had to accept the three-month ban offered by WADA, rather than risk being forced out of tennis for two years just as he became the dominant force in men’s tennis.

“I didn’t want to do it in the beginning. It was a bit not easy for me to accept it because I know what really happened,” said Sinner.

“But sometimes you have to choose the best in a very bad moment. And that’s what we did. It’s all over now, so I’m happy to play again.”


Milan clinch 2-1 win with two quick-fire goals in rainy Genoa clash

Milan clinch 2-1 win with two quick-fire goals in rainy Genoa clash
Updated 06 May 2025
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Milan clinch 2-1 win with two quick-fire goals in rainy Genoa clash

Milan clinch 2-1 win with two quick-fire goals in rainy Genoa clash
  • The result keep Milan at ninth place with 57 points, six points behind fourth-placed Juventus
  • Milan completed the turnaround when Genoa midfielder Frendrup, attempting to clear a short cross, inadvertently tapped the ball into his own net

GENOA: AC Milan secured a 2-1 victory over Genoa in a rainy Monday Serie A clash, with a rapid second-half turnaround driven by Rafael Leao’s equalizer and an own goal from Morten Frendrup.

The result keep Milan at ninth place with 57 points, six points behind fourth-placed Juventus, who occupy the last Champions League spot, with three rounds remaining.

With crucial back-to-back clashes against Bologna looming — first in the league followed by the Coppa Italia final — Milan appeared passive for much of the match, lacking urgency and creativity until a late surge turned the tide.

“We always try to improve. We work on individual and group levels. We work a lot,” Milan manager Sergio Conceicao told reporters.

“The players responded well, which shows we have a group that believes in what we do at Milanello (Milan training ground). I’m pleased with that.”

Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan was the stand out performer in a first half largely dominated by Genoa, making several crucial saves to keep his side level at the break.

Milan began to find their rhythm late in the first half and nearly took the lead just before the break, but Christian Pulisic was denied at point-blank range by a sharp save from Genoa keeper Nicola Leali.

The second half started in a largely uninspired fashion, with the relentless downpour proving more consistent than the football, as play was frequently halted for injury treatments.

Vitinha, introduced only a minute earlier, made an instant impact in the 61st minute, drifting into space inside the box and smashing home a perfectly delivered cross with his first touch to put Genoa in front.

Quick turnaround

A fortunate equalizer from Leao came in the 76th minute, when a low cross from the byline by Santiago Gimenez wrong-footed the Genoa defense and found the Portuguese forward unmarked in the box; his shot took a deflection off Genoa’s Brooke Norton-Cuffy before nestling in the net to level the score.

Less than two minutes later, Milan completed the turnaround when Genoa midfielder Frendrup, attempting to clear a short cross, inadvertently tapped the ball into his own net.

In stoppage time, Milan nearly added a third when Leao fired a powerful effort that Leali was forced to parry away from danger.

“In terms of our game plan, we could’ve done better in possession during the first half. We played against a tough team on a tough pitch. Credit to the opponent — but we could have looked for depth more,” Conceicao said.

“On the goal we conceded, collectively, we could have done more.”


Nottingham Forest draws at Crystal Palace as Champions League hopes fade

Nottingham Forest draws at Crystal Palace as Champions League hopes fade
Updated 06 May 2025
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Nottingham Forest draws at Crystal Palace as Champions League hopes fade

Nottingham Forest draws at Crystal Palace as Champions League hopes fade
  • A win at Selhurst Park would have brought them equal with Chelsea and Newcastle but one point means it stays in sixth

LONDON: Nottingham Forest drew with Crystal Palace 1-1 in the Premier League on Monday and saw its Champions League hopes fade.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s men have spent most of the year in the league top three but a run of one win in four has dropped them behind Chelsea, Newcastle and a resurgent Manchester City.
A win at Selhurst Park would have brought them equal with Chelsea and Newcastle but one point means it stays in sixth, with the top five qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Neither team was able to take control of a sometimes scrappy match that saw eight names go in the referee’s book.
Palace took the lead with a penalty kick after an hour. After a video review, Matz Sels was adjudged to have felled Tyrick Mitchell and Eberechi Eze made no mistake from the spot.
Forest bounced right back within four minutes, Murillo doing enough to deflect a goal-bound shot from Neco Williams away from the keeper.
Eze hitting the woodwork in the dying seconds and Eddie Nketiah having a goal disallowed for offside in stoppage time meant FA Cup finalist Palace has not won any of its last five league games.


Minister of Sport receives 2025 AFC Elite Champions League winners Al-Ahli

Minister of Sport receives 2025 AFC Elite Champions League winners Al-Ahli
Updated 05 May 2025
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Minister of Sport receives 2025 AFC Elite Champions League winners Al-Ahli

Minister of Sport receives 2025 AFC Elite Champions League winners Al-Ahli
  • Prince Abdulaziz congratulated the Al-Ahli players and management on their victory over Japan’s Kawasaki
  • Prince Abdulaziz expressed his admiration at the outstanding performances delivered by the team over the course of the tournament

JEDDAH: Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal received the 2025 AFC Elite Champions League winners Al-Ahli at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah and congratulated them on their victory over Japan’s Kawasaki.

The reception was also attended by Assistant Minister of Sport Abdulilah bin Saad Al-Dalak, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation Yasser Al-Misehal, and several ministry officials and leaders.

Prince Abdulaziz expressed his admiration at the outstanding performances delivered by the Al-Ahli players over the course of the tournament. He also praised the players’ commitment, competiveness and cohesiveness, which paved the way for ultimate victory.


PFL MENA season 2 opens with world-class talent in Jeddah on Friday

PFL MENA 2 will feature world-class talent from the Middle East North Africa region. Credit: @Webook12T
PFL MENA 2 will feature world-class talent from the Middle East North Africa region. Credit: @Webook12T
Updated 05 May 2025
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PFL MENA season 2 opens with world-class talent in Jeddah on Friday

PFL MENA 2 will feature world-class talent from the Middle East North Africa region. Credit: @Webook12T
  • Reigning lightweight champion, Iran’s Mohsen Mohammadseifi, battles rising contender Ahmed El-Sisy from Egypt
  • Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz bin Moammar makes his debut against Morocco’s Fares Hamdani in catchweight bout

JEDDAH: The second season of PFL MENA begins this Friday at the Onyx Arena in Jeddah, featuring world-class talent from the Middle East North Africa region.

Headlining the card is a high-stakes lightweight showdown between reigning champion Mohsen Mohammadseifi from Iran and rising contender Ahmed El-Sisy from Egypt.

The division also features a trio of compelling matchups, with Algeria’s Souhil Tahiri taking on Kuwait’s Abdullah Saleem, and Bahrain’s Abbas Khan squaring off against Moroccan striker Salah Eddine Hamli.

The featherweight division promises equal intensity.

Jordan’s Abdelrahman Alhyasat, riding the momentum of a five-fight win streak, faces a formidable challenge in undefeated Moroccan Taha Bendaoud.

In other featured featherweight contests, Jordan’s Izzeddine Al-Derbani meets Algerian standout Mohamed Amine, while Iraq’s Hussein Salem takes on Egypt’s Assem Ghanem.

Adding to the excitement are several exhibition bouts, including Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz bin Moammar making his debut against Morocco’s Fares Hamdani in a catchweight fight.

The flyweight division will see local favorite Malik Basahel clash with Algeria’s Mountassir Boutouta.

The evening will also spotlight women’s MMA, with undefeated Kuwaiti talent Eman Almudhaf going toe-to-toe with Brazil’s Shamara Braga in a featherweight contest that promises fireworks.

Stacked with world-class talent, the PFL’s return to Jeddah sets the stage for a thrilling 2025 season.