World champion Luke Humphries names the one activity he refuses to do due to fear of injury and reveals whether he ever gets BORED of darts – as he prepares to defend his title at Ally Pally
- Luke Humphries will defend his world title at Alexandra Palace
- The 29-year-old has answered some questions from Paddy Power
World darts champion Luke Humphries has answered a series of questions put to him by Paddy Power as he prepares to defend his title at Alexandra Palace.
Humphries won the Sid Waddell Trophy for the first time in January after beating teenage sensation Luke Littler 7-4 in the final.
He remains the No. 1 player in the world after a great year and is one of the favorites to emerge victorious again next month.
The last 18 months have been brilliant for Humphries as he has become the player to beat and he has now shown exactly how seriously he takes his craft.
When asked if he ever worried about sustaining injuries and whether he took precautions to protect his hands, Humphries said, “I actually protect them very well.
‘When I was a roofer, I always wore gloves in everything I did. Whether I was picking up wood, shingles or felt, I always wore gloves so I didn’t ruin my hands. I’m very protective of what I do.
Luke Humphries won his first world title at Alexandra Palace in January
He returns to defend his title and has revealed the one activity he avoids for fear of injury
Humphries and Luke Littler have had some great battles over the last twelve months and could meet again at the World Championship
‘I wouldn’t go skating, things like that. Only things where you can hurt yourself, you have to be very careful.’
Humphries has no interest in skating, and he even admitted that he sometimes feels the same way about darts.
The 29-year-old stated that even he gets bored of playing sometimes as he shared how much exactly he practiced to ensure that he doesn’t lose his interest in the sport.
“Yes, I do (get bored),” Humphries added. “When I first started I didn’t play that much, so I really look forward to it every time. But sometimes you have those moments when you think, ‘I could use a week off here,’ and I do. But I still really like the game.”
During practice, Humphries continued, “Not very much. You probably play three or four days when the Premier League is going on, so you have three or four days off, and then on one of those days I’ll probably go and train for an hour or two.”
Number one seed Humphries has a first-round bye and will face Thibault Tricole or Joe Comito in the second round of the World Championship, which starts on Sunday.
He has been placed on the same side of the draw as Littler, meaning there will be no repeat of last year’s final.
But the pair could meet in the semi-finals after sharing a number of classic battles over the past 12 months.
Littler defeated Humphries in the Premier League final in May, but Humphries got their revenge when they last faced each other in the Players Championship final in Minehead last month.