Luke Littler 16 Issues Apology for Controversial Remarks

Luke Littler, 16, apologises after causing a stir on social media for being photographed holding The Sun newspaper – as Warrington-born darts star says, ‘I didn’t fully understand at the time what I was being asked to do.’

Luke Littler, the 16-year-old darts sensation, has issued an apology after causing a stir on social media for being photographed holding The Sun newspaper. Littler, who is still only 16, came into this year’s tournament somewhat of an unknown quantity but has won three straight matches to progress to the last 16 at Alexandra Palace. As he has made his way through the rounds, media coverage has only increased for the teenage star.

The Photo Controversy

Luke Littler posed for a photo holding up The Sun newspaper on Friday. He received criticism from fans for agreeing to the photo with the newspaper. The Sun’s claim that he ‘loves’ their newspaper caused a stir on social media, given that Littler was born in Warrington, a town between Liverpool and Manchester. Some fans were angered by Littler’s apparent support of The Sun, leading to the teenager releasing a statement to address the situation on Friday night.

Littler’s Apology

Littler took to social media on Friday night to apologise to offended fans. In his statement, Littler wrote, ‘Today, a photograph of me holding up a newspaper has been published in the media. The media attention I have been getting is new to me, and I didn’t fully understand what I was being asked to do then. I do not endorse that newspaper or the headline accompanying the article, and I sincerely apologise for any offence this has caused. I’m focusing on my next match with Barney and thank everyone for their amazing support.’

Gary Anderson’s Concerns

Following the criticism he received online on Friday, fellow darts star Gary Anderson raised some concerns about the pressure on Littler when he is still three weeks shy of his 17th birthday. After beating Croatia’s Boris Krcmar to move into the last 16, Anderson told reporters, ‘Let the boy play darts. I’ve been downstairs, and he’s got cameras, zoom calls, meetings… Let the boy play darts.

He’s had a great tournament; he’s done well. What if it all goes Pete Tong now? You boys have ruined that. Let the boy play darts; He’s 16 years old. Keep having that boy mic’ed up, doing interviews when he should be on the practice board. You’ve seen it a thousand times. Every year, there’s a boy come through. You’ve not got a clue how many young darts players are coming through the system who are the next big thing, and then there’s the pressure on it, and it all goes Pete Tong. We’ve seen it in the past.’

Littler’s Next Match

Littler will face Raymond van Barneveld for a place in the quarter-finals tonight. Van Barneveld is 40 years Littler’s senior, and it promises to be an intriguing battle between a legend of the game and the sport’s most prominent rising star. The Dutchman has described Littler as ‘amazing’. At the same time, Littler posted a clip of himself trying to imitate Van Barneveld when he was just three on Friday, suggesting there will be plenty of respect between the pair for the mouthwatering match on Saturday night.

This concludes the section on Luke Littler’s apology after causing a stir on social media for being photographed holding The Sun newspaper.

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