SIR CHRIS HOY will make an emotional appearance at Ally Pally next month when he presents the Ballon d’Art.
The terminally-ill Scotsman, 48, has been invited by Paddy Power to the final of the 2024-25 PDC World Darts Championship on Friday January 3.
The six-time Olympic champion cyclist will hand out the trophy to the player who throws the most 180s throughout the 16-day tournament.
Last year a tumour was found in Hoy’s shoulder and a second scan found primary cancer in his prostate, which has metastasised to his bones.
In February, he made public he was undergoing treatment, which includes chemotherapy, but then in October, he announced it was stage-four cancer.
His involvement in The BIGGER 180 campaign, organised in conjunction with Prostate Cancer UK, is to try to raise awareness of the 30-second online risk checker.
The hope is that, come the end of the Worlds, more than 180,000 men will have taken action before it is too late.
Hoy – who recently did a charity cycle ride around Cambodia – said: “This isn’t about medals or records. It’s about saving lives.
“If sharing my story gets just one person to check their risk or book a screening, then it’s all been worth it.
“I didn’t have any symptoms until it was too late.
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“By the time I felt pain, it wasn’t in my prostate anymore – it was secondary cancer in my bones.
“If I’d thought to check earlier, maybe I’d have caught it in time.
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“That’s why this campaign is so important – so others don’t end up in the same situation.
“Sport is where men connect, laugh and bond.
“It’s also the perfect place to deliver an important message – don’t wait, act now.
“If we can get blokes talking about their health at Ally Pally, between pints and 180s, then we’ve already won.”
Throughout these Worlds, Irish bookmakers Paddy Power will give £1,000 to Prostate Cancer UK for every 180 scored.
Every time a nine-darter is achieved, there will be an added £180,000 bonus – split evenly between the player, Prostate Cancer UK and a lucky fan in the crowd.
Punters should not leave the arena if that happens because a camera will spin around the room and randomly pick out one person out of 3,300 who will get the dosh.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the UK, with one in eight diagnosed during their lifetime.
Hoy added: “By the time my kids are grown, I want prostate cancer to have a completely different story.
“What we do now isn’t just for us – it’s for the next generation.
“Together, we’re paving the way for a brighter future.”
BELOW is a list of Darts world champions by year.
The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions.
That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once – Barney also won four BDO titles – and none of Eric Bristow’s five BDO titles are included.
Most World Titles
