Littler suffers defeat in World Youth Championships

Luke Littler, the 19-year-old world number one, failed to secure both the senior and youth world titles at the World Youth Championship after suffering a surprising defeat in the semi-final. The young prodigy lost 6-5 to world number 68 Cam Crabtree, who will now face German player Jan Schmidt in the final on 29 November during the Players Championship Finals in Minehead.

Unfortunately for Littler, he has yet to qualify for the event, as he has skipped most Pro Tour events this season and is currently ranked 126th in the Players Championship order of merit. Only the top 64 players can participate. Littler has four more Players Championship events remaining, but two of them are in Den Bosch, Netherlands, where he recently withdrew due to boos from the crowd.

Littler has previously won both the full World Championships and the youth title, but this is his second consecutive elimination in the semi-final stage, having lost to Beau Greaves in 2025. The tournament allows players aged 23 or under at the start of the season, meaning Littler has the potential to enter four more times. This latest loss adds to a series of unexpected exits for the young player, who recently lost in the first round of the World Grand Prix to Luke Woodhouse and was defeated by Jonny Clayton in the quarter-finals of the World Series of Darts finals.