TARGET Darts today unveiled a giant 38ft mural of reigning world champion Luke Littler at Golden Square Shopping Centre in his hometown of Warrington, to celebrate one of darts’ most extraordinary success stories.
Recognising the lasting impact Littler continues to have in inspiring the next generation of players, the striking artwork pays tribute to the teenager’s remarkable rise from local talent to global sporting superstar and recognises the achievements that have cemented his place at the top of the game.
To mark Luke’s historic back-to-back World Championship and World Matchplay triumphs, Target Darts also announced the launch of “Born To Win”, a new signature range of Luke Littler darts products. Emblazoned across the mural, “Born To Win” reflects the mindset and determination that have defined Littler’s meteoric rise, while celebrating a journey that has inspired millions of fans around the world.
Elsewhere, Target Darts, who manage and represent Luke, also announced that together with Luke, they will donate darts equipment to 63 schools across the local Warrington area, designed to introduce more young people to the sport at grassroots level, helping to inspire and develop the next generation of players. Last week, Target Darts announced at a press conference in London, it’s aim to inspire one hundred million people to play darts by the end of the decade, triple the number of people playing today.
The day’s celebrations began as crowds gathered at Golden Square Shopping Centre for the official unveiling. Luke Littler was joined by his family and friends, the Mayor of Warrington, local schoolchildren, members of the public and representatives from Target Darts, as the hometown hero came face-to-face with the artwork for the first time.
The mural, commissioned by Target Darts, Luke’s sponsors, manufacturers and management team, in partnership with MurWalls, has been created as a permanent new landmark for the town, and celebrates the remarkable journey of a Warrington teenager who has become one of the biggest names in world sport.
The unveiling follows Littler’s latest major title victory at the World Matchplay in Blackpool last weekend, where he produced one of the sport’s most dominant performances, posting the highest tournament average in World Matchplay Darts history to successfully defend his title. It comes during a period in which his achievements have helped drive unprecedented interest and growth in darts across the UK as he continues his quest to win all eight PDC ranking titles in the same calendar year, something that has never previously been achieved.
Speaking at the unveiling, Luke Littler said:“Growing up in Warrington, I never imagined something like this would happen. It’s a huge honour to have a mural in my hometown and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone at Target Darts for making it happen. Hopefully it inspires young people here to believe they can achieve something special too. If it encourages even a few kids to pick up a set of darts and enjoy the sport, then that’s something I’m really proud of.”
The day also celebrated the launch of the new Luke Littler “Born To Win” Target Darts collection. The collection includes the Born To Win Limited Edition Dartboard, with just 500 individually numbered boards available worldwide exclusively on TargetDarts.com. Each board is personally hand-signed by Luke Littler and includes an exact replica of the dart used during his World Championship triumphs. The range also features the Born To Win BOA Case, Born To Win K-Flex, and Born To Win shirts.
After posing for photos in front of the mural, Littler joined darts commentator Dan Dawson for a Q&A session, where he reflected on his career and recent success. He then took to the stage alongside three local competition winners from a drawing competition organised by Golden Square Shopping Centre, which saw children submit hand-drawn pictures of Luke. The three lucky winners, personally selected by Luke, were invited on stage to meet him and throw some darts together in front of the Warrington crowd using Target Arcade, Target Darts’ new connected entertainment platform, which was showcased to the public for the first time ahead of its official launch in October.
James Tattersall, CEO of Target Darts, said: “Luke’s achievements are extraordinary, but what makes this occasion special is the connection he still has with Warrington. We wanted to create something lasting for the town and celebrate a young man who has inspired so many people.”
“The mural, the support for 63 local schools and the Born To Win collection of products are all part of the same idea; celebrating Luke’s journey while helping more young people engage with darts and the sport as a whole with the overall goal to inspire the next generation.”
The Mayor of Warrington, who was also in attendance, paid tribute to Littler’s achievements, highlighting the positive impact he has had on young people across the region, through his success, dedication and connection to his hometown.
“Warrington is absolutely proud of Luke Littler. This magnificent mural right here in our community stands as a lasting tribute to Luke’s extraordinary achievements on the world stage. It is more than just art, it is a powerful message to every young person across Warrington: dream big, work hard, and believe that you, too, can reach incredible heights.”
The mural activation and local community initiative forms part of Target Darts’ wider commitment to growing the game, through grassroots participation, community engagement and connected technology innovations, with the aim to inspire more people to pick up a dart for the first time.
For more information, visit www.targetdarts.com
