Littler eyes glory as Grand Slam of Darts returns

Luke Littler aims to retain the coveted Eric Bristow Trophy at the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton

One of darts's major tournaments kicks off on Saturday as the Grand Slam of Darts returns to Wolverhampton.

The tournament, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), takes place at WV Active Aldersley for nine days, running until Sunday 16 November.

It will feature some of the world's best darts players, including reigning champion Luke Littler who, still only 18, will fight to retain the coveted Eric Bristow Trophy.

Matt Porter, PDC chief executive, said the event was a highlight of the calendar, with many players saying it is one of their favourite tournaments. It has been staged annually in Wolverhampton since its inception in 2007, the year Littler was born.

"It's always great going to Wolverhampton, this event is so well established for us now, " Mr Porter said.

"People are still coming out in force to watch it and the players love going there."

'Anybody can beat anybody'

The tournament, unlike other events, features 32 qualifiers split into eight groups of four, instead of a straight knockout format.

Mr Porter said the beauty of the format meant audiences had more chances to see the big names and added a greater sense of jeopardy to the event.

"If you're going to see a shock then it's likely to be here in the group stages because in short races, anyone can beat anybody," he said.

Giving a flavour of a live darts event, the chief executive spoke about how the sport had evolved over the past several decades.

"It's perhaps not what you'd have expected darts to be if you followed in the 80s or 90s," he said.

"It's a very high-energy sport now, the players are a lot younger, obviously the prize money is huge, and we play to sell-out crowds all around the world.

Michael van Gerwen won the Grand Slam of Darts three years in a row between 2015 and 2017

'Families enjoy it'

"It's a big occasion, tickets are snapped up quickly and it's a really good social event as well because, unlike a lot of sports, people don't necessarily go preoccupied with what the result is going to be.

"People go with a much different mentality to just enjoy themselves with their friends or family."

Mr Portter said he wanted the sport to be in a different place in 20 years than what it is now, just as it has changed over the last two decades.

However, he added: "It's important that it stays true to its character because we want fans to thrive on it.

"The more successful we are, the more it enables us to invest in the sport and keep growing darts."