Six-time Olympic gold medallist Chris Hoy has been invited to Alexandra Palace on stage on the night of the PDC World Championship final on January 3
Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy has been invited to make an emotional appearance at Ally Pally – to present the Ballon d’Art trophy.
The six-times gold medallist shocked the world by revealing he has been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer.
Now World Championship title sponsors Paddy Power, in conjunction with the Professional Darts Corporation’s charity partner Prostate Cancer UK, have asked the superhuman cyclist to hand over the trophy to the player who hits the most 180s at the tournament. Defending champion Luke Humphries won the inaugural Ballon d’Art 12 months ago after hitting 73 maximums out of a record 914 aggregate.
Hoy, 48, is assured of a thunderous reception when he appears on stage on the night of the final on January 3.
Last year, a scan revealed a tumour in his shoulder and subsequent tests revealed primary cancer in his prostate which has metastasised in his bones. Now he is helping to drive awareness of a 30-second online risk assessment in the hope 180,000 men will get checked for symptoms of prostate cancer during the three-week tournament.
Hoy, who recently returned from a charity bike ride in 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. By the time I felt pain, it wasn’t in my prostate anymore – it was secondary cancer in my bones.
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“If I’d thought to check earlier, maybe I’d have caught it in time. 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.”
Bookies Paddy Power have pledged to donate £1,000 to Prostate Cancer UK for every 180 scored.
And for each nine-darter at the tournament, there will be a massive £180,000 payout split three ways – £60,000 each to the player, Prostate cancer and a fan randomly selected from the audience.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the UK, with one in eight destined to be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime.
