LUKE LITTLER has been forced into a shirt change for today’s New Zealand Darts Masters.
That’s because at the age of 17, he is under the legal gambling and drinking age in the country.
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That means he’ll have to wear a custom shirt that is different to the other players in the tournament.
Gambling sponsor TAB and beer maker Steinlager will be two of the sponsors absent from Littler’s shirt.
PDC chief executive Matthew Porter told the Waikato Times: “Due to Luke’s age there’s obviously certain brands that it’s not appropriate for him to be associated with.
“And that’s not just from our side, it’s from the sponsors’ side as well, because, as responsible operators in their fields, they market to adults, they don’t market to children.”
When asked if this was the first time such an incident had happened with a player, Porter said he was “The first real high-profile one.”
Littler has been allowed to choose a charity to support and display on his shirt instead.
The youngster opted for a charity called The WaterBoy, which gives New Zealand youngsters an opportunity to compete in sport.
Among the sports on offer by the charity is a focus on darts.
The custom shirt on display will be a reminder of just how young Littler is.
The Warrington darter took the sport by storm after appearing at the PDC World Championship during last year’s festive period at the age of 16.
Despite being a 100-1 outsider, Littler reached the final, where he lost to Luke Humphries.
After his impressive showing in darts’ biggest tournament, he was then a surprise inclusion in Premier League Darts – which he went on to win.
Littler has gone on to amass over £600,000 in prize money alone this year.
Inside Littler’s massive rise
LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship.
