Luke Humphries was crowned World Darts Champion last Wednesday after defeating the young Englishman Luke Littler, who had entered the championship ranked 164th and had become something of a myth.

Littler's dream of becoming the youngest player to achieve the feat came to an end thanks to a spectacular comeback from Humphries. He came back from 4-2 down to win five straight sets and take a 7-4 lead on the scoreboard.

Littler had reached the final by dominating and playing brilliantly. After a nervous start to the final, he quickly found his stride and was back in front. The weight of history was on the Englishman's shoulders. He was on the verge of becoming the youngest ever champion. He had the chance to make it 5-2. 

But he missed a difficult double two. It was at this point that Humphries took control and began to stun the Alexandra Palace crowd, who responded perfectly to the excitement of the two players and the thrill of a high-stakes final.

Humphries confirmed his status as the world's number one player and began to develop a devastating game that would see him defeat his fellow Englishman and win his first world title.

"It was unbelievable," said Littler in an interview with AFP. As well as his place in sporting history, Littler's darting skills have earned him a hefty cash prize. The young teenager took home a cheque for £200,000 (231,958 euros) for second place. "The only negative was that I lost too many legs on my throw, so Luke was able to break me," he added.

He mourned the possibility of winning the championship against the world number one. Littler was quick to praise his rival, saying. He said: "Every game has been good, but this one really bothered me. Fair play to Luke, he deserved it. All World Championships are special, but this one went a little bit further." 

Littler's upset and the defeats of some of the favourites gradually added to the excitement of the crowd, who were already in the grip of the event. The spectators were also keen to add to the excitement. Many of them came on stage in costume, adding to the festive atmosphere. Some chose Super Mario costumes, while others chose Oompa Loompas.

The victory extended Humphries' winning streak to 19. It's true that Littler's surprise win, given his young age, seems to have diminished the significance of his victory. But with Wednesday's triumph, Humphries has now won the last five major tournaments. "It will be a lot of positives for me and it will be a moment I will never forget.

Humphries was also full of praise for Littler. "He is an incredible talent. I had to win tonight and he's going to win a lot, I'm sure. "He told me to go out and celebrate. He's not your average 16-year-old... There's no doubt about it, he's one of the best players in the world."

After Littler's spectacular tournament, many fans thought the dream of seeing the youngster on top of the podium with the World Cup trophy had come to an end. Social media was abuzz with praise for the Englishman, who was at the end of a very promising journey. 

His 4-1 victory over five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld was a historic one. Humphries, on the other hand, won five games in a row to start the final and had darts to go 2-0 up in sets. But he missed and Littler responded with checkoffs of 142 and 120 to level at 1-1. 

Cool Hand, as Humphries is known, took a 2-1 lead. Littler fought back to take three straight sets and lead 4-2. At this point, everything seemed to point to a Littler triumph. But in the seventh set, Humphries took the opportunity after Littler missed a double to level the match at 4-4 with a 121 checkout. That was the moment Humphries had the confidence to overcome the young prodigy. Humphries was unstoppable. He hit two bulls when he wanted a bull and a 25 for the title.

Littler's mistakes allowed Humphries to win, and he celebrated on his knees, surrounded by the crowd, holding his £500,000 cheque. Littler had to be consoled by the referee. Triumph had slipped through his fingers.

What Littler did was something that no one could have predicted, so much so that his performance at the World Championships has been the subject of media coverage across the UK, surpassing even football and other sports with a far more global impact.

So much so, that some of the media went so far as to publish his birth certificate to prove he's older. Such is his talent, it's surprising he's so young.