Photo: Action Images via ReutersEngland's Luke Littler has thrashed Dutchman Gian van Veen to win the PDC World Darts title for the second successive year in front of a raucous Alexandra Palace crowd. The 18-year-old dropped the first set in the best-of-13-set showdown in London but hit back to stamp his authority on Van Veen, who had no answer to Littler's relentless scoring on Saturday. The 23-year-old Van Veen beat Anderson to reach his first world championship final and initially looked dangerous. Having come from behind in the first set to take it after Littler missed a double, Van Veen then went 2-0 ahead in the second set with checkouts of 145 and 127. Van Veen narrowly missed a 127 checkout that would have given him a two-set lead and that proved the turning point as his dream of emulating former Dutch champions Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld evaporated.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 03, 2026 23:31 UTC