Importance Score: 55 / 100 🔵
Luke Littler Hits Back at Neil Duff Amid World Cup of Darts Criticism
Emerging darts sensation Luke Littler has engaged in a sharp exchange with veteran darts player Neil Duff on social media, continuing his robust defense following England’s disappointing performance at the World Cup of Darts. Littler and Luke Humphries, the reigning world champion, were considered a formidable pairing at the tournament in Germany but suffered an 8-4 defeat against the host nation in the Round of 16.
Backlash and Rebuttals
The loss to Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko in their initial match sparked a wave of criticism from former players and fans. Littler and Humphries have responded assertively to the negative reactions, with Littler recently addressing remarks made by Neil Duff.
Duff’s Initial Jibe
Following England’s loss to Germany, former WDF World Champion Neil Duff posted a taunting message on Facebook, querying England’s performance.
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Littler’s Retort
Littler took note of Duff’s comment and seized the opportunity to respond after Duff’s exit from the Modus Super Series. Martin Thomas of Wales defeated Duff 4-1, prompting Littler to share screenshots of the result and Duff’s Facebook post on his Instagram story. Littler added a caption saying, “How’s Neil Duff doing?”
Earlier Criticism from Dennis Priestley
Littler’s recent actions follow his response to darts icon Dennis Priestley, who questioned the decision to award MBEs to the teenager and Humphries.
MBE Controversy
Littler and Humphries received the honour as part of the King’s Birthday Honours, in recognition of their contributions to darts. Priestley, a two-time world champion, voiced his reservations:
- He stated that neither Littler nor Humphries had, as yet, done enough to merit their MBEs.
- Priestley suggested that while they might eventually deserve the recognition over time, it felt premature, considering they had each only won one World Championship and were still early in their careers.
- He did acknowledge Littler’s impact on boosting the sport’s popularity.
Littler and Humphries Respond to Priestley
Priestley’s assertion that Littler and Humphries “let their country down” at the World Cup seemed to particularly resonate with Littler.
- Littler responded with a now-deleted Instagram story, suggesting he had achieved more in 12 months than Priestley had in his entire career.
- Humphries expressed his disappointment on X, noting that such criticism from a respected former professional was damaging. He defended their performance, emphasizing that one poor game wouldn’t define them and that they would return to compete again.
Moving Forward
Despite the setbacks, Littler and Humphries appear determined to learn from their experiences and focus on future tournaments, aiming to restore their reputation on the international stage of professional darts.