THE darts board in the World Championship had to be changed after blood was smeared on it.
The claret appeared in the single five section during the sixth set of the final.
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Blood appeared on the darts board during the finalCredit: Sky Sports
It is unclear exactly where the blood came from – but Gian van Veen did cut his hand on his way to winning the European Championship in 2025.
The darts board was later changed by tournament officials.
Despite the disruption to the game, it did not change the flow of the match.
The Nuke had exploded away from his Dutch rival after losing the opening set.
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LUKE AT THAT
Luke Littler’s World Darts Championship final gets off to nightmare start
And that continued following the board change as the 18-year-old moved into a 6-1 lead.
The board change came mere moments after the return of the Ally Pally Wasp.
Littler attempted to swat the bug away as it buzzed around him, while Sky Sports commentator Wayne Mardle shouted, “Just kill it!” on the comms.
The wasp had seemingly been an ever-present during the early stages of the tournament, but took some time off over Christmas and New Year.
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But it all proved to be speed bumps in a dominant victory for Littler.
The teen defended his world championship crown with a stunning 7-1 victory over Van Veen and pocketed £1million in prize money.
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LUK OUT!
He broke down in tears on stage as he celebrated the win to top off his incredible darts year.
Van Veen hit a strong average of 99.94, but was still unable to compete with Littler’s average score of 106.02 as he was dispatched by the World No1 in 43 minutes.
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