Former World Darts Championship finalist undergoes heart surgery after becoming a pilot

One former darts star has gone under the knife for major heart surgery. Alan Warriner-Little had previously quit the sport to become a pilot, having reached the WDF World Championship final in 1993.

Warriner-Little reached the last four of dart's premier event in 1999 and then again in 2003, with the Englishman having also finished as runner-up at the World Matchplay on two occasions. He tasted glory on stage at the World Grand Prix in 2001 - a triumph that proved the most high-profile of his career.

The darts star-turned pilot recently underwent cardioversion surgery - a procedure which sees a controlled electrical shock sent to the heart to restore its normal rhythm. Warriner-Little took to social media to share an update surrounding the procedure, writing: "Cardioversion done and successful, hopefully going home in an hour or so."

While he takes to the skies in his spare time, Warriner-Little is still active in the darts scene. He often appears as a pundit and co-commentator, and Warriner-Little is also the president of the Professional Darts Players Association.

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In a recent address, he praised the decision from the PDC to raise the overall kitty for players, starting at this year's World Darts Championship onwards. He said: "This is incredible by the PDC. The players should be ecstatic with this, as we are.

"This increase will give our members more prize funds to gain, particularly the lower-ranked players. Our sport is in an unbelievable place at the moment and this announcement will no doubt increase that stature. Everyone wants to know about darts, and the top players are pop stars! Our members should be on the dartboard even more getting ready for this in 2026. When we look back to how we started and to where we are now is truly amazing."

For the first time ever, the winner of the Worlds will pocket a mouthwatering £1million prize. It represents a mammoth jump from the previous prize of £500,000 for the victor, and comes as the sport continues to grow in mainstream popularity.

The rise of Luke Littler has captured the imagination of the sporting world, while his rivalry with Luke Humphries has made for some titanic battles. Prior to the sport's return to the Alexandra Palace, players will compete at the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals.