Luke on the bright side

Luke Littler of England concentrates as he walks to the oche before the start of the final match against Luke Humphries of England at the World Darts Championship in London. — AFP

THE classic image of a darts game is a friendly contest in a smoky pub filled with middle-aged men holding pint glasses.

But at the top level, centered in Britain, darts is a fiercely competitive sport and a big business with multi-million-dollar purses, boisterous crowds and live television coverage.