Luke Littler has made darting history by becoming the first player from the sport to earn a nomination for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award.
The 19-year-old sensation will face off against his sporting hero Lando Norris, the reigning Formula One world champion, when the ceremony takes place at Madrid’s Cibeles Palace on Monday 20 April.
It’s a remarkable achievement for the Warrington star, who has only been a professional player for two years.
The nomination marks another milestone in what has been an extraordinary rise for the teenager known as ‘The Nuke’.
Luke Littler is up against the likes of Lando Norris for the award
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REUTERS
Littler’s past 12 months have been nothing short of sensational.
The teenage tungsten talent lifted six televised major titles during an outstanding run that saw him claim his first world championship crown.
He then reached the pinnacle of the sport by becoming world number one.
Just this January, he successfully defended the Sid Waddell Trophy, cementing his status as the dominant force in darts.
All of this in only his second year as a professional – it’s the kind of trajectory that most players can only dream about.
Luke Littler is officially the world No.1 in darts | PA
The awards ceremony falls three days before Littler is due to appear at a Premier League Darts night in Liverpool.
Littler was thrilled to receive the recognition, saying: “Being nominated for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award is a huge honour.”
He added: “Especially being the first darts player to get recognised on this list.”
The double world champion continued: “It’s been an incredible 12 months and becoming double world champion and world No.1 is a dream come true but I don’t want to stop there.”
He’s determined to keep pushing the sport forward: “I want to continue raising the profile of darts globally and bringing new fans into the sport. The nomination is a big moment for me and the sport of darts as a whole.”
Littler finds himself in truly stellar company with this nomination.
Luke Littler has defended his World Championship title after a crushing 7-1 win over Gian van Veen | REUTERS
The other athletes shortlisted alongside him include Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Desire Doue, Brazilian tennis star Joao Fonseca, Canadian basketball player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and remarkably, 12-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi.
Previous winners of this prestigious award read like a who’s who of sporting greatness – tennis legends Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Carlos Alcaraz have all claimed the honour.
Lewis Hamilton took home the prize back in 2008, while more recently Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal have been recognised.
Rory McIlroy is among six golfers to have won the coveted award.
