Luke Humphries lifts lid on bizarre injury caused by fan during US Darts Masters walk-on
Battling Luke Humphries overcame his painful thumb injury inflicted by a fan to lift the US Darts Masters.
The World No.1 was victorious in New York after beating Nathan Aspinall in the Final at Madison Square Garden.
Humphries did so with a hurting digit after a bizarre incident which saw a darts punter injure his finger on the opening night of the event during an accidental moment in his walk on.
Cool Hand was still toiling on Finals night and explained he'll be heading straight to the docs when he gets back to the UK to have it checked out.
Humphries said: 'My thumb is incredibly swollen. It's hard to play through. I was struggling with the grip. I couldn't hold my thumb in the same position.
"I don't want to make it all about that, I've won the title and I don't want it to be about me having an injury, but the guy when he pulled my hand back, he really hurt it.
"I'm going to have to go home and get it x-rayed. I don't think it's broken as it doesn't hurt to squeeze it. I've got a couple of weeks off. Next time I play is two weeks away, so I've got plenty of time.
'It's not broken, that's the main thing, but it's not in good shape, it's incredibly swollen. Get through the first game.
"When I was in the Final, I said to my family I'm going to give it everything. If I injure my hand in the Final, I don't care. I tried my best and it was good enough so really pleased. I wasn't at my best but I managed to win.'
Humphries was in no way against the fans as he savoured the astonishing atmosphere in the Garden with the sport growing in the States.
He said: 'It was really special. I thought the crowd were absolutely fantastic. I don't know the figure like 3,000 people but the exciting fact for us is if you can treble or quadruple that you're going to create one of the best atmospheres darts has ever seen so it's exciting for us as players to know that we can grow it over here. Next year maybe sell more and go into the bigger room, that's what I'm excited for.
'I really enjoyed my time over here. America is such a massive fanbase for sport, they've got so many great sports. Baseball, American football, ice hockey, basketball but we'd love to put darts along them lines. I believe we can, it's not going to be easy.
"You're not going to do it in one or two years but if we can put it along those great sports they already have then it gives Americans another sport they can enjoy.
'I love America to bits, I've been here many many times but it's really special for me to win as well. This is the real special one for me on the World Series.
"This is the biggest one, this will always be the most iconic venue darts is going to go to or I'll ever play at. It's one of the top five best venues in the world.
"So they're very special. When I come here two years ago, I always dreamt of winning this one.
'It means the world, they said earlier we don't want to jinx you but they've been to every tournament I've won this year.
"They've not seen me lose. I've won World Championships, Matchplays, Premier Leagues, Masters, all these big titles but it kind of felt like I won another major.
"For me winning in America, it feels like winning a major. One of the biggest sporting countries in the world. To play your sport in your country and win in it. You add all that up, it's very very special.
'I genuinely believe the way the crowd were this weekend and a lot of players said it. You're creating better environments than we have on Premier League nights for 8-10,000.
"I think there's a major coming in the next two or three years or four-five years here. We just have to have the support of the American crowd, we really love it. We want to come. We're more than happy to come for big major tournaments.'
"Before that though, they perhaps need to be angling towards the big venue at Madison Square Garden and he had the same sort of feeling that they want to play in the big arena but need support to achieve that mission.
"We want the big venue, we're so blessed to have the Theater. But we would love to have it in the big arena. But we have to have the support from the Americans to come.'
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