sportskeeda
LUKE HUMPHRIES asserts that he is deserving of recognition for the Sports Personality of the Year award, despite rival Luke Littler currently being the frontrunner in the darts arena.
Humphries, 29, emerged victorious against Littler to win the world championship this past January.
2
2
However, it was Littler‘s extraordinary path to the finals — which occurred just before his 17th birthday — that garnered significant attention.
Since that moment, Littler has bested Humphries in eight of their 13 matches, winning prestigious titles like the Premier League and the Grand Slam of Darts.
Despite this, Humphries remains the world No. 1 and has continued to collect trophies this year, including the World Matchplay and, most recently, the Players Championship Finals just last weekend.
Humphries feels he should be included in the running for the SPOTY award — for which 800-meter Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson is currently the favorite, with Littler in second place.
In a conversation with Sporting Life, Humphries stated: “Absolutely, I believe I should be considered.”
“In the last year, I haven’t noticed another British athlete dominating a sport the way I have and nearly achieving every title.”
“It appears that personality matters more than achievements.”
“I’m not too troubled by it; I’ll support him [Littler], and if he wins, that’s great for the sport.”
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
“Nonetheless, it is still an honor to be acknowledged. I believe they [the BBC] value some of my accomplishments.”
Meanwhile, Littler addressed the potential of being the first darts athlete to receive this accolade.
Luke Littler’s remarkable Players Championship journey concluded in a thrilling final as Luke Humphries sets a notable benchmark at Ally Pally
He remarked: “It would represent a major milestone for me, but I haven’t concentrated extensively on the frontrunner. Is it that runner [Keely Hodgkinson]?
“People often don’t view us as athletes, do they? So if I’m second, I’m perfectly okay with that.”
