Move over Luke Littler – my son, 8, just won his first adult darts tournament & he got his first 180 aged 3
DARTS wonderkid Kai Tiffen is on the way to emulating his hero Luke Littler after winning his first adult tournament — at the age of eight.
Kai started throwing the arrows at 18 months and got his first 180 when he was only three.
He is just 4ft tall so needs a step to collect his darts from the board.
And parents Neil and Rachel have to ask permission for Kai to play in adult matches because they are held in pubs.
But the youngster is celebrating after beating the grown-ups to pocket winnings of £120.
He has already met teen ace Luke, who in January became the youngest player to reach the PDC World Darts Championship final, days before his 17th birthday.
The snap of them together is Kai’s most prized possession and he said: “My best ever day was when I met Luke Littler. He’s my hero and I want to be exactly like him — or even better.”
Kai practises his “Ally Pally entrance” in his living room and has even invented his own nickname — Kai “On Fire” Tiffen.
Mum Rachel, 29, said: “We are so proud of him. He’s our little hero.
“We’re not really from a darts family. My partner Neil and his dad like to have a throw for fun but neither are seriously into it.
“It happened by accident with Kai. We’d taken the board down to do some decorating and he got hold of the darts and started throwing them at the board.
“It was obvious from the start that he loved it but, like any mum, I was worried about him having sharp objects.
“We did everything to try to get him to switch to soft toy versions but he would cry for the real darts.
“Eventually we realised he was using them quite responsibly and was getting to be a really good shot. It all started from there and he was only three when he scored his first 180, which at that time was on a board at a lower height.
“When he was five, he scored his first on a full-height board. It was amazing to see how fast he was progressing.
“He would do his own little walk-ons in the living room. That’s when he gave himself the name ‘On Fire’ — he just came out with it one day.
“He still needs a step to collect his darts because he’s only around 4ft tall, which is really cute when he’s playing against adults.”
Kai triumphed in The Wheatsheaf darts open in Sunderland, beating 28 adults including county players.
He hit back-to-back 180s, beat a top regional player 3-0 and dropped just two games on his way to victory.
Childcare assistant Rachel, of Chester-le-Street, Co Durham, added: “When I was pregnant, I had a psychic look at my scans and he said he would be really good with his hands. Kai’s got a board in his bedroom and downstairs.”