World Number Two Luke Littler Misses Players Championship 33 in Wigan Due to Traffic Delay

Luke Littler, the 18-year-old reigning world champion and world number two in darts, missed the registration deadline for the Players Championship 33 event in Wigan due to being stuck in a traffic jam. Despite the setback, Littler has already qualified for the season-ending Players Championship finals in Minehead and remains eligible to compete in the following day's event if he registers on time. His place in the tournament was taken by Charlie Manby, ranked 174th in the PDC Order of Merit, who went on to beat former champion Rob Cross. Littler responded to the situation with humor and sympathy, sharing social media posts about the traffic incident and a fatality involved. The event also featured notable moments such as nine-dart finishes by Nathan Aspinall and Damon Heta, and a first-round upset where world number one Luke Humphries lost to Adam Warner. Littler's experience follows past instances of criticism for punctuality but he remains a prominent and successful figure in the sport.