Luke Littler, the reigning Darts world champion, has decided to break his boycott of German tournaments by participating in the upcoming German Darts Championship scheduled for October. This decision comes after Littler had previously expressed his reluctance to compete in events in Germany due to facing hostility from the audience, particularly following an incident in April where he was heckled during a match against Gian van Geen at the Munich Grand Prix semi-finals.
In a social media post, the 18-year-old remarked that despite his past experiences, he is looking forward to returning to Germany for the Dortmund event in October. Despite facing criticism and jeering from fans, Littler made a comeback to Germany for the Darts World Cup, teaming up with rival Luke Humphries. However, he encountered further negative reactions from the audience, raising concerns about his future participation in German tournaments.
Nevertheless, Luke Littler has confirmed his attendance at the German Darts Championship in Heidenheim next month, where a prize purse of £175,000 awaits the participants. Among the notable players competing alongside Littler are Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, and Stephen Bunting. This tournament marks Littler’s first return to Germany since his defeat with Humphries against the German duo of Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko at the World Cup.
Reflecting on his previous experiences in Germany, Littler described a challenging moment during the World Cup when he faced hostility from the crowd, leading to what he called a “head loss moment.” His partner, Luke Humphries, also acknowledged the difficult atmosphere and expressed disappointment at the lack of support from English fans compared to the home crowd.
Amid speculations about their future partnership, Humphries suggested that Littler’s decision to participate in upcoming events should be respected, emphasizing the need to appreciate Littler’s contributions to the sport rather than subjecting him to unwarranted criticism.