A DARTS player with an incurable lung condition has proven he is at the top of his game after winning a championship in Malta.

Tony 'The Tiger' Pass from Brompton On Swale, Richmond, has enjoyed a successful year in the World Disabled Darts and British Disabled Darts series. Having already reached two semi finals earlier this year - in the Dutch Open and in the Belgium Masters Darts Open Disability - Mr Pass recently travelled to take part in the Malta International Disability Darts Open 2018.

Having come top in his group, he secured a semi-finalist place where he defeated Oliver Scicluna of Malta.

In the final he took on Miklos Josef of Hungary and secured victory by finishing on double 20, making him the inaugural Malta International Disability Darts Open Champion 2018.

Mr Pass has the incurable lung condition, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and has significantly reduced lung function because of this.

He now relies on a 24/7 oxygen supply but this has not stopped him from travelling Europe in pursuit of his passion.

He said: "For Malta I was quietly confident, but I like to keep a poker face as I don't want to appear too confident.

"I know Miklos, who is a great guy, and we were joking on social media beforehand that we would see each other in the final, and so we did."

Mr Pass credits his success to the support of his wife, Christel, without whom he says he 'wouldn't be able to have achieved half of what I have done'.

Christel, who supports Mr Pass in all his competitions, said that the disability darts world is like 'one big family' with everyone supporting each other.

She said: "In Malta I was cheering on Tony obviously, but I was also cheering on Miklos.

"It is fantastic like that.

"Everybody gets involved, it is good to get disabled people out of the house and it helps with their mental health too."

Mr Pass is now looking forward to a busy 2019.

On February 1 he will compete in the Para Darts Dutch Open in Holland and he has also been selected for the England B team in the first ever Disability World Cup of Darts in Ostend Belgium on February 23.

He said: "It is an honour to be selected.

"You never know how you're going to feel on the day with the condition I have, but I'm really looking forward to it."