16-Year-Old Darts Prodigy Denied Victory at Nail-Biting World Championship Final

Luke Littler, a darts phenom just over two weeks away from turning 17 years old, snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory in the World Darts Championship final on Wednesday night, losing to a much older player in a dramatic match that hinted at the teenager’s promising future in the sport.

Losing 7-4 to Luke Humphries at London’s Alexandra Palace, a venue lovingly nicknamed the Ally Pally by its raucous crowds, Littler still walked away as runner-up with £200,000 ($250,000) and a claim to the world No. 32 spot, a far cry from where he previously ranked at No. 164. Humphries, a 28-year-old known as “Cool Hand” Luke, came back from 2-4 down to win five sets in a row, cinching the £500,000 prize and the No. 1 ranking.

“It has been unbelievable,” Littler told Sky Sports after the final. “The one negative was I lost too many legs on my throw, so Luke could break me. Every game has been good—just that one really annoyed me.”

Read more at The Daily Beast.