Shocking moment darts champion Luke 'The Nuke' Littler beaten by 8-year-old prodigy plucked from crowd

27 August 2024, 12:55 | Updated: 27 August 2024, 13:02

Crowds at the Summer Showdown darts exhibition were left opened mouthed as darts champion Luke Littler was beaten by an 8-year-old boy.

Littler was beaten by the child prodigy - who was plucked from a crowd of hundreds of spectators.

Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler made history this year after becoming the youngest player ever to win the Premier League Darts at 17 years and 123 days old.

He has now been given a taste of his own medicine after he was defeated at an exhibition match in Cardiff on Saturday.

Noah Kendall, from Northampton, stunned Littler by beating him 1-0, despite only starting to throw darts two years ago.

Posting on X, Noah’s mum, Helen, said: “You made Noah’s dreams come true and you were so lovely with him. Thank you so much! A night we will never forget.”

The youngster trains 16 hours per week, and will start to throw darts for Buckinghamshire County in the near future.

Littler took his defeat well, rewarding Kendall with some of his signature flights for his darts after the game.

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Littler, who is considered a teenage prodigy himself, has turned the world of darts upside down and massively boosted the sport’s popularity since his breakthrough.

This ‘Luke Littler effect’ has even raised questions about the future of the World Championship at Alexandra Palace, with darts promoter Barry Hearn hinting at a potential move to a larger venue.

What it has also done is inspire a new generation of youngsters like Noah Kendall to take up darts and follow in The Nuke’s footsteps.