Luke Littler says he was grabbed outside Prague hotel after being accused of 'bad behaviour'

Luke Littler, the 18-year-old English darts player, has rejected accusations of "bad behaviour" after saying he was grabbed from behind by a member of the public outside his hotel in Prague while arriving for the Czech Darts Open.

Littler said he checked into his hotel late on Friday night and was surrounded by supporters seeking photos. In an Instagram post he described the incident and wrote: "Just came to the hotel in Prague got a few pictures baring in mind it's 20 past 11 here it's busy so got a few pictures with a few people and as I've gone to walk off someone has grabbed me and wanted a picture, you don't grab someone just ask nice how hard is it." He added: "And for the guy who came up to me and my dad, shouting 'hey', and then said my behavior was bad and I was no better than anyone else, DON'T GRAB ME FROM BEHIND, because that's bad behavior, not mine."

The incident occurred as Littler arrived in the Czech capital for the £30,000 Czech Darts Open. He is scheduled to face Scotland's Cameron Menzies in his opening match at the tournament. Littler, who has attracted significant attention as a teenage star in the sport, said the encounter left him frustrated and that he and his father were confronted by a member of the crowd.

Littler's post framed the grabbing as the inappropriate conduct and argued that fans should ask politely for photographs rather than physically seizing players. The player did not report any injury in his message. There was no immediate public comment from tournament organisers or from those present at the scene.

The Czech Darts Open is one of a string of European Tour events that have drawn larger audiences to darts in recent years. Littler's profile has grown as a young competitor in the professional ranks, and his matches routinely attract fan interest on arrival and at venues. Tournament organisers have previously managed crowd interactions with player arrivals at hotels and transport hubs, though instances of close crowd contact continue to prompt discussion about player welfare and security.

Littler remains entered in the Czech Darts Open and will contest his scheduled opening-round fixture. Further details about the incident were not immediately available, and Littler's Instagram message provided the primary public account of what occurred.