Organizers hoping to bring 16-year-old darts prodigy to Budapest event

Note: At the time of our interview and the writing of the article, Luke Littler was still 16. He turned 17 since then. – ed.

It became official at the end of December that the world's most powerful darts organization has granted Budapest the right to host the PDC European Tour for another three years. The competition for these tournament licenses is fierce, but the last few years have convinced the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) that it is worth coming to Hungary. If all goes well, the sport's new poster boy, 16-year-old Luke Littler, will also be competing in Budapest in 2024.

The European Tour isn't a top-level tournament, but that doesn't mean that only second-tier players compete in it. In fact, the biggest names regularly participate in the Budapest event. Luke Humphries, for example, who has just won the World Championship in January, finished second at the Hungarian Darts Trophy in September 2023. But there are other former world champions on the list, with Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, Peter Wright and Michael Smith all having attracted crowds to the event's Budapest venue, the MVM Dome.

"Darts is enjoying a global boom and it’s becoming increasingly popular, and not just in the Anglo-Saxon territories. It has also reached and conquered other parts of Europe, not just the Benelux countries and Germany. The European Tour is also on the rise, with many contenders in the system. There can be a total of 13 venues in a year, so the competition for these is very fierce," Péter Takács, managing director of Darts Event, which is organizing the Budapest round, said.

The European Tour can be a stepping stone towards the highest level, but the renewal of the license is by no means guaranteed, and having it extended for three years is even less so.

"Several things have to be aligned for this to happen. The organizational side is just one part of it, but in order to be able to talk about growing success, one also needs the feedback of the players and the public. The only way for us to think long term is for our event to generate a strong sense of confidence in itself, and we seem to have accomplished that. Darts is also very popular in Germany, many of the series' stops are hosted there, so not only do we have to steal the show from other countries, but from them as well" Takács said.

The managing director of Darts Event admitted that although hosting a European Tour event requires a lot of money, that alone would not be enough. As he sees it, 2023 was the breakthrough for them, when four of the six rounds held at the MVM Dome were nearly sold out. "Friday was already a strong day. Other locations don't have this kind of crowd gathering, and all the players commented on how amazing the venue was. This is a reflection on our work too, because we take great care in serving the players, but the main attraction is still the love of the crowd. The atmosphere created by the 4,500 people who were in the hall was truly unique" Takács said.

He is still not able to decipher exactly why Hungarians are so hooked on darts, but he believes that the broadcasts of Sport TV, which started more than ten years ago, have for sure contributed to this. There's one thing missing from the formula: a Hungarian player who can regularly be seen in international broadcasts. There’s been a breakthrough in this too over the past year, with Nándor Major becoming the first Hungarian to win a main draw European Tour match in Budapest, but this is not yet a regular occurrence.

Takács and his team are looking to change this with a domestic tournament system which would have a cash prize. They believe that if the country's best players could compete more often, and even win money, they would be able to develop a background that could help them move forward and regularly play at an international level. The best ones would thus be naturally selected and would be worth managing individually. The CEO of Darts Event believes there are currently four or five players in the country who, as well as being talented, have the experience, knowledge and commitment to become internationally ranked players. With the right financial backing, they have the potential to reach the world elite within two or three years.

"In Hungary, we tend to sulk even at an Olympic bronze. If we had a darts player in the top 30 who was on screen a few times a year, that wouldn't break through the barrier, even though it would be a huge sporting achievement. What we need is a top 10 Hungarian player who can break into the spotlight at a world championship and then compete regularly," said Péter Takács.

He believes that there is no need to start building from the bottom up, but that strengthening the professional darts scene can pull the amateur community in.

"Darts is an inexpensive sport which develops concentration skills and provides both relaxation and an opportunity for an outlet in a sedentary environment. Young people are constantly in front of screens, and global surveys show that they are losing the ability to concentrate. Darts can change that too," Takács said.

Takács also believes that Budapest would be able to accommodate two high-level darts tournaments, which is why they are also working on getting on the Pro Tour. “The door is ajar, maybe even a few inches open, but we still need luck to get in. It's a pretty closed world. For example, the only reason Warsaw was able to host a World Series event was because another venue pulled out. But it was also an advantage that the Poles have a Premier League-level player. Hungary will for sure have the conditions for moving forward sooner or later.”

Competitors who have already competed in the Hungarian capital generally have a good opinion about Budapest and the organization. Michael van Gerwen loves to plunge into the nightlife in the city, while Gerwyn Price has been spotted while out for a burger, and they regularly share about these experiences on social media. Takács also spoke about the many small touches they add to make the tournament more comfortable for the players, and point out how important it is for them to be able to concentrate on their game alone. The goal is to minimize the amount of time they have to spend on anything other than darts. This is why it makes a huge difference how the transfer between the hotel and the venue is, how the rooms and routes they use in the arena are marked, what the temperature and lighting are like, and whether the players are handed their favorite refreshments.

Although the biggest stars have already been to Budapest, there are still some very interesting personalities that could be presented here. The biggest sensation of the 2024 World Championships was undoubtedly 16-year-old Luke Littler, who marched all the way to the final, eliminating top players along the way. Many would be interested in seeing him play, and Darts Event is also keen to bring him to the Hungarian capital.

"I definitely want to bring that 16-year-old kid here, because Luke Littler was very much loved by the Hungarian audience. A lot of people have already enquired whether he would be coming. I'm also dying to meet him. I'd check his birth certificate first though, because he's playing in an incredibly mature way, and his dedication is remarkable as well. I know some world-class players, but he's exceptional, even compared to them. He'll have the playing rights to come here, so the question is what he wants to focus on during the tournament season. We've already contacted him about adding Budapest to his calendar, and have some compelling ideas on how to lure him here", Péter Takács said.