Darts enjoyment of king’s birthday honours as Littler and Humphries select up MBEs

Luke Littler and Luke Humphries were awarded MBEs within the king’s birthday honours record in reputation of the heights to which their competition has taken them in darts.

Littler turned into the youngest international darts champion on the age of 17 years and 347 days at the start of 2025 whilst Humphries, who beat {the teenager} on the planet championship ultimate 12 months prior, got here out on best in Premier League Darts.

Deta Hedman, who has received world-ranked darts titles in each and every of the previous 5 many years and turned into the primary black lady to play on the PDC World Championship in 2020, has turn into an OBE.

While the headline names at the record are the knighthoods awarded to David Beckham and rugby league nice Billy Boston, a bunch of alternative sports activities stars were recognised, amongst them the previous Wimbledon tennis champion Virginia Wade, who turns into a CBE, and the previous Gloucestershire bowler David Lawrence, who took 625 wickets for the county, who has been made an MBE. The 61-year-old, affectionately nicknamed “Syd”, used to be recognized with motor neurone illness remaining yr.

Lawrence stated: “It is an incredibly proud moment to have been awarded an MBE in the King’s birthday honours. It is not something I ever thought would sit after my name, but I am absolutely delighted that it will do so for however long I am here and will be a part of my legacy when I am gone.

“As a proud Gloucester man who achieved his dream to play for England on the cricket field, it means a great deal to me and to my family who have supported me with all their love during some difficult times. I have always put my heart and soul into any challenge I have faced and that is how I have approached things since my diagnosis with motor neurone disease. With awareness and funds for research, we can make a positive difference for those who will need it in the future.”

Another former England tempo bowler, Devon Malcolm, has been made an OBE whilst Steven Davies, who in 2011 turned into the primary male global cricketer to return out as homosexual, has been made an MBE.

There is additional reputation for the two-time Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee, who has turn into an OBE, and Rachel Daly, one of the crucial stars of the England ladies’s soccer group that received the European Championship on house soil in 2022, who has been made an MBE.

Frank Rothwell, the landlord of Oldham, has turn into an OBE for products and services to dementia analysis.

Monica Vaughan, a 10-time Paralympic swimming gold medallist, turns into an OBE whilst Andy Lapthorne, a 18-time grand slam champion in wheelchair tennis, has been made an MBE. Two-weight boxing international champion Natasha Jonas turns into an MBE, as does motorbike rider Michael Dunlop, golfer Trish Johnson and BBC gymnastics commentator Christine Still.