Sir Chris Hoy and Luke Littler on stage together. (Image: Getty.)
has paid tribute to after being presented with an award by the legendary .
Hoy handed Littler the Ballon d’Art trophy during the celebrations, recognising the player who threw the most 180s of any competitor in the tournament.
Littler made 76 maximums, more than anyone in the 96-player field, on his way to becoming world champion after a convincing 7-3 victory over in the final.
Hoy, who last year revealed that after a prostate cancer diagnosis, was a guest of tournament sponsor Paddy Power at Alexandra Palace.
He has urged men to get themselves checked, forming the basis of the BIGGER 180 campaign, which saw over £1million raised by the sponsor for Prostate Cancer UK.
They donated £1,000 for every 180 thrown as well as £120,000 for each nine-darter, of which two were made by Christian Kist and Damon Heta.
Littler, 17, admitted that he was not fully aware of Hoy’s accomplishments before the cancer diagnosis and revealed his mother explained just how iconic the six-time Olympic champion cyclist is.
“Days before, I had the news on and he was talking about the prostate cancer,” Littler shared. “I didn’t know much about him. Me and my mum sat down and she told me who he was.
Sir Chris Hoy presenting Luke Littler with the Ballon d’Art trophy. (Image: Getty)
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“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.”
Littler’s supreme performance at the oche added to the £1,027,000 raised for charity, which Hoy hailed as a “huge step forward” in the fight to make meaningful change.
“The huge sum Paddy Power are donating will make a big difference to the lives of thousands of men,” the 48-year-old said. “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 per cent 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.”
During the entirety of the World Darts Championship, nearly 145,000 men completed the charity’s online risk checker.