Luke Littler in brilliant message to Sir Chris Hoy as darts sensation pays tribute amid cancer battle
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Luke Littler has sent his best wishes to Sir Chris Hoy after the Olympic legend presented him with a major honour.
The 48-year-old from Edinburgh handed the Ballon d'Art trophy to Littler after he beat Michael Van Gerwen 7-3 in the World Darts Championship final, becoming the youngest ever winner of the competition. Hoy revealed in October that he is dealing with stage four prostate cancer and has been handed "two to four years" to live.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHe is now on a mission to see if he can help get more men get checked out and it has formed the basis of the Bigger 180 campaign. For every 180 thrown at the Ally Pally over December and early January, sponsors Paddy Power would donate £1k to Prostate Cancer UK, plus a bonus £120k for nine-darters by Christian Kist and Damon Heta.
Littler hit the most in the competition with 76, raising a total of £76k, landing him the Ballon d’Art alongside the Sid Waddell Trophy. Hoy presented the teenager with the award, the recipient going on to send a nice message to the Team GB legend. Littler said: “Days before, I had the news on and he was talking about the prostate cancer.
“I didn’t know much about him. Me and my mum sat down and she told me who he was. When my mum and dad came on stage, they pointed out who was Chris. It’s very sad what he’s going through. The limelight is on him and it’s good for him to come on stage and have the confidence to do it.”
Hoy said in a statement: “When it comes to their health, men go quiet. That has to change. Checking your risk takes just 30 seconds, and it could save your life. The huge sum Paddy Power are donating will make a big difference to the lives of thousands of men.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“It’s a huge step forward and we are now one big step closer to making a long-lasting and meaningful change to men's health. Around 40% of men who currently die from prostate cancer could be saved by a screening programme. The response to early-stage treatment is really good, but without noticeable symptoms, effective screening is the only way of detecting it in time to save lives.
"The Transform trial aims to find the best way to test men for prostate cancer, so we can be sure which is the most effective method for a nationwide screening programme that could save thousands of lives every year. This massive cash injection can have an impact on men's lives for years to come.
“When it comes to their health, men go quiet. That has to change. Checking your risk takes just 30 seconds, and it could save your life."
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.