Sporting Life
Luke Littler and Luke Humphries at the World Championship media day (Picture: PDC/Taylor Lanning)
Luke Littler and Luke Humphries at the World Championship media day (Picture: PDC/Taylor Lanning)

Sports Personality of the Year 2024: Luke Humphries believes he deserves to be in the running with Luke Littler

By Chris Hammer
Darts
Thu November 28, 2024 · 5h ago

Darts sensation Luke Littler is among the favourites to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award but Luke Humphries believes he also deserves to be a contender.

The closest a darts player has ever got to landing the honour was Phil Taylor back in 2010 when he finished runner-up to AP McCoy but the sport rarely even gets an acknowledgement during the ceremony.

However, Littler's trailblazing success and meteoric rise has seen him become a viral star in the wider sporting landscape and helped darts transcend popular culture like never before.

The 17-year-old, who kicked off a headline-making 2024 by reaching the World Championship final in January, thrashed Martin Lukeman 16-3 in the Grand Slam of Darts final in November to claim the maiden ranking major title of his young career.

In doing so, the Premier League champion became just the fourth player ever to win 10 PDC titles in one season while the £150,000 winners' cheque - in addition to the £60,000 he pocketed by finishing runner-up to Humphries at the Players Championship Finals a week later - lifted him up to fourth in the world rankings.

Littler has now sensationally banked over £1million in prize money in all competitions in 2024, including unranked events like the Premier League and World Series of Darts Finals, and he'll head into the World Championship as favourite to become the youngest winner of the Sid Waddell Trophy.

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Luke Littler has already won £1million in total prize money in his debut year with the PDC

As far as SPOTY is concerned, he's 5/2 second favourite in the betting behind Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, who won a brilliant gold for Great Britain in the 800m in Paris during the summer.

Olympic gold medalists do traditionally have the upper hand when it comes to SPOTY but in 2021 - the year Tokyo 2020 eventually took place - it was another teenage star in Emma Raducanu who lifted the trophy ahead of Tom Daley and Adam Peaty.

It could well be the closest race 1/4 favourite Hodgkinson has been involved in this year which is remarkable when Littler's pre-match meal consists of a curry, a Boost and some Squashies.

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However, Humphries feels his continued excellence in 2024 which has seen him win seven titles overall including the second biggest in the sport at the World Matchplay in July, also deserves recognition.

Cool Hand is happy that the BBC have sent him an invitation to attend the star-studded ceremony and although he'll throw all his support behind Littler, he feels his achievements deserve recognition too.

Asked if he deserves to be included in the shortlist, Humphries told Sporting Life: "Of course. The only thing I’d find is maybe over the last 12 months, I don’t see any UK sportsperson that’s dominated a sport and nearly done everything.

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“It’s more done on personality though, it’s not about your achievements. It doesn’t bother me too much, but I’ll go and I’ll be supporting him and if he wins it’s good for the sport.

“It doesn’t bother me too much. I’ll go and I’ll be supporting him [Littler] and, if he wins, then it’s good for the sport. It’s nice to be invited, I think they acknowledge it a little bit what I’ve achieved.

“I think it’s another feather in the cap for the sport. I think Keely Hodgkinson is probably going to win it, isn’t she? But I think Luke could at least win young sports personality of the year if he doesn’t win the main one. That’s still a nice thing to have for yourself.”

When Littler was asked what it would mean to win the award, the teenager said: “It would be a big thing for myself. I’ve not really looked too much into who’s in first - is it a runner?

“People don’t really class us as athletes do they? So if I’m second then that’ll do.”

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