Luke Littler urged to think about his weight by darts icon who suffered coronary heart scare

Luke Littler has been suggested to comply with Luke Humphries’ instance and banish the majority.

World darts champion and world primary Humphries made a acutely aware resolution to shed the kilos throughout the pandemic. In whole, he misplaced round four-and-a-half stone and has reaped the advantages since life returned to regular.

Humphries went on to make the ultimate of the 2021 UK Open, then grabbed a string of European Tour titles in 2022. Last 12 months noticed him be a part of the elite of the game, profitable not only one main however 4 main titles, culminating in his dramatic victory over Littler at Ally Pally.

READ MORE: ‘I misplaced virtually 5st in lockdown – now I’m world champion after beating Luke Littler’

READ MORE: Premier League Darts preview – on sale now for Luke Littler’s debut marketing campaign

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Humphries says shedding the load has helped his sport immeasurably, giving him extra stamina throughout lengthy tournaments and matches.

Darts has lengthy been famend for gamers with hefty frames, together with former PDC World finalist Peter Manley, 61. He needs he’d performed one thing about his measurement years in the past and has urged kebab fanatic Littler, 17, to take action whereas he’s nonetheless younger.

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“Luke Humphries reminds me so, so much of Luke Littler,” Manley, who’s chairman of the Professional Darts Players Association (PDPA), tells Daily Star Sport. “When Luke Humphries first got here onto the scene, he was so pure, like Adrian Lewis, who you at all times knew was going to win one thing.

“I’m an enormous fella as effectively and I knew immediately that he’d need to lose some weight. And take a look at Luke Humphries now, he appears to be like good, he feels match. I do know he had an issue with anxiousness and the way to cope with strain, however he’s come via that.

“Luke Littler, to me, simply appears to be like an enormous unit. If he isn’t cautious and doesn’t take care of himself, he received’t final lengthy due to that. And it received’t look good. You need to look good.

“Darts players used to be the fat people who drunk beer. That’s changing. Look at Gerwyn Price coming from rugby. They’re able to last. They might playing at 10 in the morning and then the final at six at night.

“They’re long old days and the fitter you are, the more able you are to have the same levels of concentration at the end of the day as you did at the start.”

Manley had no alternative however to make adjustments to his life-style when he was identified with coronary heart failure when he was in his mid-40s. He remembers a number of gamers who took well being and health critically, together with Peter Evison and the evergreen Steve Beaton.

“I remember being the young guy coming through and I used to practice with Peter Evison,” recalled Manley. “I’d ring him to see what night we’d be practising and his other half would say he’s out jogging, gone for a swim or at the gym. I’d think, ‘what do you doing that for?’

“And then, through health reasons, I had to do something. Had I looked after myself, who knows, I might be like Steve Beaton. Steve’s looked after himself.

“I remember being sat there in Gibraltar [at a tournament] having a big, king-sized breakfast and who comes running past? Steve Beaton.”