Teen Sensation Kaya Baysal Breaks Luke Littler’s Record with Historic Darts Title Win
A 14-year-old darts prodigy from Burnley has smashed Luke Littler’s record by becoming the youngest ever winner of a World Darts Federation (WDF) event.
Kaya Baysal claimed victory at the 2025 Budapest Classic Men’s tournament over the weekend, a stunning achievement given that he’s only been playing darts seriously for less than 18 months. The WDF confirmed that Baysal was 13 days younger than Littler was when he won the 2021 Irish Open.
Baysal’s triumph came with a 5–2 win in the final over defending champion, 27-year-old Belgian Sybren Gijbels. He had earlier defeated former tour professional Krzysztof Kciuk 4–1 in the semi-finals.
But Baysal didn’t stop there — he also secured victories in two youth events: the Budapest Youth Open and Youth Masters. He even reached the semi-finals in the pairs competition alongside 15-year-old Joseph Westby, a teammate at the Blackburn Darts Academy.
Despite his breakthrough, Baysal remains grounded. “It was a great experience. I played some good darts against some good players,” he said. “I’ve got lots more hard work to do.”
The Burnley FC fan is sponsored by Target Darts, the same brand that backs Littler, and his favorite player is Joe Cullen. His coach and manager, Keith Brunt, believes this is just the beginning: “He’s calm, never fazed by who he plays, has a good head on his shoulders, and very supportive parents.”
WDF Secretary-General Nick Rolls praised the teenager’s rapid progress, saying: “His performances in Budapest showed that if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.”
Baysal’s walk-on song, Times Like These by Foo Fighters, is particularly meaningful—it was his late uncle’s favorite song and a fan favorite at Burnley’s Turf Moor stadium.
His parents, Engin and Samantha Baysal, expressed pride in his accomplishments, with the family and the darts world now watching closely to see if Kaya can follow in Littler’s footsteps and continue his meteoric rise.
