Luke Littler has dismissed claims made by Martin Lukeman about his pre-match eating habits before winning the Grand Slam of Darts final.
The 17-year-old darts sensation, who secured a commanding 16-3 victory in Wolverhampton, clarified the timing of his meal after Lukeman’s comments about his unusual pre-match routine went viral.
Lukeman expressed astonishment at what he believed were Littler’s pre-match eating habits.
“He’s absolutely ridiculous,” Lukeman said. “He has a Boost bar, a meal deal and a curry, walks up there and smashes them in like that. I’m stood there like: ‘What?'”
Luke Littler has clarified comments made by Martin Lukeman after winning the Grand Slam of Darts on Sunday nightSKY
The veteran player added: “He’s actually had a curry, a Boost, a couple of little, what are those little sweets? He’s eating Squashies at half time. But I take my hat off to him, he’s absolutely awesome.”
However, Littler was quick to correct this version of events during an appearance on talkSPORT.
“It was after the semi-final,” he explained. “I didn’t want to go back to the hotel, we stayed. Had chicken katsu curry, had three or four breaks in the final so I had squash to keep my energy up.”
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Luke Littler was too strong for Martin Lukeman during Sunday’s final of the Grand Slam of Darts
PA
The clarification revealed that his curry consumption took place between matches, rather than immediately before the final as Lukeman had suggested.
Littler’s dominant performance earned him a £150,000 prize and catapulted him to fifth place in the Order of Merit.
The teenager’s rise has been meteoric, having been ranked 164th just a year ago.
Luke Littler has now become a millionaire in the wake of his win at the Grand Slam of DartsSKY
His achievement was further highlighted by becoming only the third player to average over 100 in every match of a Grand Slam, joining the elite company of Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen.
Despite losing the first two legs to Lukeman, Littler responded by winning an incredible 15 legs in succession.
Reflecting on his triumph, Littler told Sky Sports: “I’m so glad to win it. I’ve been playing well all week. It’s been a long week but it’s paid off.”
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“This is one of the ones I wanted to win. My major record isn’t the best but I just wanted to go deep. Obviously, it’s even better now I’ve won it and it shows I’m still here.”
The teenage sensation will now turn his attention to the World Darts Championship, where he aims to improve on last year’s runner-up finish to Luke Humphries.
Littler was the underdog when the two men met in the final of the tournament in January.
Yet if they end up meeting again, few would bet against the 17-year-old adding another trophy to his growing collection.