Luke Littler withdraws from Dutch darts tournaments following crowd hostility

Darts star Luke Littler has withdrawn from the upcoming Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht and the Players Championship events in 's-Hertogenbosch. The decision follows reports of hostile treatment from crowds during the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, where the reigning world champion was subjected to booing and whistling during matches against Danny Noppert and Nathan Aspinall.

Littler stated that he would stop playing in the Netherlands if the treatment continued, noting there is “no point in me travelling and wasting my time while I’m getting booed.” His withdrawal, along with other high-profile players like Gary Anderson, has led to several replacements for the October tournaments.

The crowd behavior has sparked debate within the sport. While some observers noted that Littler occasionally engaged with the stands, others criticized the conduct as unsporting. The absence of several Tour Card holders, including Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price, has opened opportunities for players without Tour Cards to compete in the Den Bosch events.