Here comes Luke Littler to the Pitbull tune Green Light.

And there's a buzz in the arena - even as far as Bahrain, Littler-mania is alive.

Man Lok Leung's entrance music is incredibly catchy.

I don't know the words but man, I'm still humming the tune.

"It's going to be a totally different experience, travelling over here, but I can't wait to get going," says Luke Littler on ITVX.

Summing up all our feelings too, I imagine.

Great to see the 16-year-old back on the oche - but how will he cope with being a favourite not an underdog?

After rising to 31 in the world rankings, Luke Littler is going to have get used to being the favourite, rather than the underdog, in many of his matches.

But the man he is facing tonight is certainly no mug.

While Littler stole the headlines at the Alexandra Palace, Hong Kong's Man Lok Leung also impressed at the World Championships, averaging an impressive 96.26 in his opening-round win over Dutchman Gian van Veen.

The 24-year-old lost to Germany's Gabriel Clemens in round two but sits fifth on the Asian Tour of Merit and gave world champion Luke Humphries a test in this event last year, only losing 6-3.

Image source, Getty Images

Up next?

Yep, the boy in Bahrain. The adolescent in Asia.

Luke Littler back in action, it's almost time.

Image source, Getty Images

Rob Cross holds off that resurgence from Japan's Tomoya Goto to win 6-3 - having been level after six legs.

'Voltage' seals the win with a double top finish.

But that's yet another top PDC star to be really tested tonight. Peter Wright and Nathan Aspinall were both taken to deciding legs by Asian Tour opponents while Gerwyn Price went through 6-4.

The PDC invites eight of its top stars to make up half of the field and face eight top Asian players – whose spots are earned by either ranking or a qualification event.

The tournament lasts two days with the quarter-finals (best of 11 legs), semi-finals (best of 13 legs) and final (best of 15 legs) all taking place on Friday, with the champion pocketing £20,000.

From the PDC, Luke Littler is joined by world champion Luke Humphries, ex-world kingpins Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith, Gerwyn Price, Rob Cross and Peter Wright, plus World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall.

The PDC players are kept apart in today's opening round, each facing an Asian opponent who will hope to cause an upset and make a name for themselves.

Image source, PDC

Luke Littler's match with Man Lok Leung is up next but they could be in for a wait.

Because Japan's Tomoya Goto has taken out double four to level at 3-3 from 3-0 behind against ex-world champ Rob Cross.

We've been close to a shock in every match tonight in Bahrain.

None has come to fruition. But Tomoya Goto has just landed an 11-dart leg to break Rob Cross' throw and pull back to 3-2...

The Bahrain Masters is one of the PDC’s World Series of Darts invitational events which takes the sport and its top players all over the globe.

Last year, for example, there were also events in Poland, Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United States and Denmark.

The 2023 Bahrain Masters was the first staging of this particular event, with then world champion Michael Smith lifting the inaugural title.

The tournament takes place at the Bahrain International Circuit, which is also home to F1's Bahrain Grand Prix.

Image source, Getty Images

This fourth match of the evening is somewhat following the trend of the previous three.

Namely, the 'home' Asian player really threatening a shock but just missing the key shots and the more experienced PDC player getting out of jail.

Japan's Tomoya Goto had darts to win both of the opening legs against former world champ Rob Cross - but failed to take them and Cross has won both legs.

He might be backstage warming up but Luke Littler will have taken note of those earlier games.

Three top PDC stars - Gerwyn Price, Peter Wright and Nathan Aspinall - have already been pushed all the way by their Asian opponents.

There could well be an upset tonight - and the 16-year-old will be desperate to ensure he isn't the one to fall.

World number four and fellow Englishman Aspinall is the player awaiting Littler or Man Lok Leung in the last eight.

Image source, PDC

We are joining the tournament in progress, with Rob Cross - one of two former Ally Pally champions beaten by Luke Littler in the Worlds last month - currently in action.

The Englishman is facing Japan's Tomoya Goto and we'll keep you abreast of happenings in that match.

Earlier on, Scotland's former world champion Peter Wright, survived a deciding-leg 6-5 thriller against Japan's Haruki Muramatsu.

His fellow ex-world champ Gerwyn Price was also severely tested, coming from 2-1 down after a string of early missed doubles to beat the Philippines' Rey Rivera 6-4.

World number four Nathan Aspinall - who will face Littler or Man Lok Leung in the last eight - had the closest shave of all, surviving two match darts to come from behind to edge Lourence Ilagan 6-5.

• Peter Wright 6-5 Haruki Muramatsu
• Gerwyn Price 6-4 Reynaldo Rivera
• Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Lourence Ilagan

It's - pardon the pun - little surprise that Luke Littler's success is inspiring a new generation of darts players to take up the sport.

Karl Holden was Littler's coach as a youngster in St Helens.

After the 16-year-old's exploits, Holder recently spoke to the BBC about how he knew the teenager was destined for the top - and he and others gave some advice on how other youngsters can follow in his footsteps.

You can read that piece here.

Image source, Karl Holden

Well, there's the £200,000 prize money he earned for his run to the World Championship final. Not a bad sum at 16, eh?

Think I might have just about earned that in my lifetime so far. Should have spent more time on the dartboard, shouldn't I?

But it's not just the money - his fairytale run has opened doors for potentially lucrative endorsement deals away from the oche.

And back on the darting stage, he's become the youngest player ever to be selected for the prestigious eight-man Premier League as well as for the first two World Series events in Bahrain and the Netherlands.

Image source, Getty Images

Luke Littler's run to the world final this past month seemed to enchant the nation, who very much took the 16-year-old to their hearts.

We were overwhelmed by your contributions to these pages during his exploits at the Alexandra Palace so please keep them coming in.

Let us know your thoughts on tonight's action - and on Littler's meteoric rise - via the methods outlined above.

If you've been living under a rock or are just late to Luke Littler's story, well, he has been throwing darts since he could walk.

And, yep, he knows he looks older than 16.

Although he soon will be - Littler turns 17 on Monday. And he'll be hoping to celebrate with the Bahrain Masters title in his possession.

Image source, PDC

By his own admission, Luke Littler has enjoyed some of the trappings of his success following the World Championship - but insists his focus has not waned in that time.

"It's back to business for me now," he said this week in the build-up to the Bahrain Masters.

"I've chilled out and not really thrown many darts since the World Championship final but I'm sure that once I'm in the practice room I'll be alright.

"I like playing all the time but after the World Championship I wanted to get away, which me and the family did.

"The holiday was great to get away from everything. My life’s changed and my family’s life has changed and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’m getting.”

It has been quite the rollercoaster ride for Luke Littler since his rise from relative obscurity to the youngest ever PDC World Championship finalist.

By his own admission, he's taken a bit of time away from the dartboard after his unexpectedly rapid ascension to the sporting spotlight.

But that hasn't stopped his new-found fans pushing him past one million followers on Instagram.

And, no doubt far more excitingly for the 16-year-old, he was invited by his beloved Manchester United to sit in the Red Devils' directors box with Sir Alex Ferguson and other luminaries for the Premier League game with Tottenham last Sunday.

“To meet him [Ferguson] was amazing and he said some lovely things to me about staying dedicated and believing in myself," Littler said.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Just over a month ago, Luke Littler was a name known only by his family, friends and the darting die-hards.

Now, after his historic run to the PDC World Championship final, the 16-year-old is receiving invites for appearances - both on the oche and off it - left, right and centre.

Today, he's back in action for the first time since that final at the Alexandra Palace but much further from home - at the prestigious invitational Bahrain Masters.

We'll be bringing you live coverage of his match with Hong Kong's Man Lok Leung as well as the first-round games involving newly-crowned world champion Luke Humphries and 'Mighty' Michael van Gerwen.