'Real fear Littler could walk away' - darts would be loser in booing row

At just 19, Luke Littler has won almost every major trophy in darts.

He is a multi-millionaire with lucrative sponsorship deals and his own TV show.

But has his rapid rise turned some against him?

This past weekend the teenager was once again subjected to boos and whistles from sections of the crowd as he took to the stage at the World Series of Darts in Amsterdam.

What is surprising though is that it came as 'The Nuke' was on a quest to complete a darts clean sweep by becoming the first player to win all 10 major televised tournaments in a calendar year.

Littler suggested afterwards that, if the booing continues, he will not attend events held in the Netherlands.

But Samuel Gill, editor of Dartnews.com, suggests Littler's future in the sport could be at stake.

"There's a real fear that within a few years he'll just turn around and walk away from the sport," Gill told BBC Sport.

"So, I think for fans, 'Don't bite the hand that feeds you'. If people keep taunting him and don't want him to win, he might end up just walking away and not bothering anymore."

Amsterdam was the latest tournament where Littler has faced what some might describe as an overly hostile reaction from fans.

A vibrant pantomime-style atmosphere is part and parcel of the darts experience and Dutch and German crowds are amongs the most raucous - but it is clear Littler believes he has been unfairly targeted.