James Wade pulled off a remarkable 10-7 victory against teenage sensation Luke Littler at the European Championship in Dortmund on Saturday, but it was his touching tribute that to his seven-year-old son truly stole the show.
The 42-year-old from Aldershot fought back tears as he devoted the win to his son Arthur, who's currently facing significant challenges after being diagnosed with multiple conditions.
"Arthur we can do it," Wade declared after defeating the 18-year-old world champion in front of 7,000 fans at the Westfalenhalle.
The victory marked Wade's first triumph over Littler in a televised ranking event and ended the youngster's perfect record in the last 16 of TV tournaments.
James Wade pulled off a remarkable 10-7 victory against teenage sensation Luke Littler at the European Championship in Dortmund on Saturday, but it was his touching tribute that to his seven-year-old son truly stole the show
|PA
It also meant Wade became the only player to have beaten every PDC world champion in history on television.
Throughout his emotional post-match interviews, Wade repeatedly addressed his son with powerful messages of hope and determination.
"I told you, Arthur we could do it. Me and you, mate, we'll do it. We'll take on everyone," the veteran darter said through clear emotion.
James Wade opened up on his son who is 'diagnosed with a lot of problems'
|PA
"My son's struggling like mad with things," he revealed. "And as I say Arthur, Daddy does it, and you can do it. It's really, really easy."
"I need to prove to my son that I can do it, because he said he can do better. And my son will do it."
Wade opened up about the heartbreaking reality that Arthur has inherited his conditions, including bipolar disorder and ADHD.
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"When Arthur was first born, I thought he'd evade my amazing gift but unfortunately, he's inherited it all," Wade confessed.
The darts star, who was diagnosed with bipolar and ADHD at 27, is now determined to help other families facing similar struggles.
"My biggest challenge now is to help people like myself who understand children's problems because they've inherited them from their parents," he explained.
This is fantastic from James Wade, he might not be everyone’s cup of tea but he is a top man
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"Recently, when my child was diagnosed with a lot of problems, who do you turn to? I didn't know who to turn to, and I still don't know who to turn to.
"I've done the money course, and I've done the rewards course," he stated. "I'm driven by something new, and I'm excited to do that."
The 2018 European Championship winner is actively seeking support from the darts community to establish resources for families like his. He believes the PDC will assist him, describing them as "amazing people," whilst Modus have already pledged their backing.
"I want to try and be an ambassador for something new, something that doesn't even exist yet," Wade explained. "I won't lie or die until it's recognised as much as I can."
His determination to create support networks for parents and children dealing with inherited conditions has given him fresh purpose after two decades in professional darts.