LUKE LITTLER will have to change shirts today for the New Zealand Darts Masters.
That's because at 17, he is not yet of legal age to gamble and drink in the country.
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This means he has to wear a special shirt that is different from that of the other players in the tournament.
Gambling sponsor TAB and brewer Steinlager are two of the sponsors missing from Littler's shirt.
PDC chief executive Matthew Porter told the Waikato Times: “Given Luke's age, there are certain brands he should not be associated with.
“And that doesn't just apply to us, but also to the sponsors. They are responsible in their field and focus on adults, not children.”
When asked if this was the first time such an incident had happened to a player, Porter replied that he was “the first really notable one.”
Littler was given a choice good cause to show it on his shirt instead and support it.
The young man chose a charity called The WaterBoy, which New Zealand giving young people the opportunity to participate in sports.
Among the sports offered by the charity, the emphasis is on darts.
The custom-made shirt on display will remind Littler how young he is.
The darts player from Warrington took the sport by storm after the PDC World Championship during the holidays last year at the age of 16.
Despite being an outsider at odds of 100-1, Littler reached the final, where he lost to Lucas Humphries.
After his impressive performance in the biggest darts tournament, he was surprisingly included in Premier League Darts – which he also won.
Littler has now collected more than £600,000 in prize money money this year only.
Inside Littler's meteoric rise
LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since his spectacular appearance at the PDC World Championship.