OFFICIAL: Luke Littler confirms he's playing 2025 World Youth Championships, one day after World Grand Prix title win

Immediately after crushing world number one Luke Humphries 6–1 to win the World Grand Prix in Leicester, Luke Littler has stunned the darts world yet again — by announcing he will compete in Monday’s PDC World Youth Championship in Wigan.

The revelation came during Littler’s on-stage interview moments after lifting his third major title of the year. Having just swept through another final with trademark ruthlessness, the 18-year-old confirmed he will line up among the sport’s next generation tomorrow, describing it as “just a bit of fun.”

“I’ll go to the World Youth tomorrow and just have a bit of fun, see everyone,” Littler told Abigail Davies live on Sky Sports. “I don't think anyone is going to be my friend tomorrow, but it’s only 20 minutes up the road, so I’ll try my best!”

It marks a dramatic U-turn from just two months ago, when Littler publicly ruled himself out of the tournament for the second consecutive year, saying there was “quite little to gain” and “a lot to lose” by playing in an event designed to showcase emerging talent.

Littler, who became the youngest ever World Youth Champion in 2023 after defeating Gian van Veen in the final, opted to skip the 2024 edition as his rapid rise saw him transition fully into the senior circuit. Van Veen went on to lift the title in Littler’s absence, and the 2025 tournament was widely expected to be another affair without the biggest teenage talent in the sport — until now.

His decision to return to the competition just a day after conquering one of the sport’s toughest formats underlines both his love for playing and his remarkable stamina. The reigning world champion and world number two joked about his relentless schedule, adding: “I could’ve taken a day off, but why not play the World Youth and the two Pro Tours in Wigan? Then I’ll finally have the weekend off.”

The World Youth Championship, which features 128 players aged 16 to 24 drawn from the Development Tour, Tour Card holders and international qualifiers, begins its preliminary rounds tomorrow at Robin Park, Wigan. The two finalists will return to contest the title on November 23.

Littler’s inclusion instantly reshapes the entire event. What was expected to be a proving ground for up-and-comers has now become another platform for one of the sport’s biggest global stars — a player who already owns a World Championship, a UK Open, a Premier League, a World Matchplay, and now a World Grand Prix title among other successes.

Sunday’s triumph at the Mattioli Arena was Littler at his most complete: cold, controlled, and crushingly efficient. He punished Humphries’ every mistake to secure his first World Grand Prix crown and cement his status as the face of modern darts. Now, astonishingly, he will trade the bright lights of prime-time television for the more modest setup of a youth tournament floor event.

If the sight of the reigning world champion turning up in Wigan, ready to crush the dreams of some teenage hopefuls, just because he can, doesn’t sum up the crazy new era of darts, nothing will.