The unique trophy commissioned to acknowledge the top-performing Oceanic player in August’s World Series of Darts double-header was crafted in memory of Anderson, who sadly passed away in August 2021.
The beloved Australian darts player was a fan favorite on the PDC circuit, gaining recognition after his victory at the 2017 Auckland Darts Masters. Last year’s recipient of the award was Heta, who made a memorable run to the final of the 2023 New South Wales Darts Masters. As the Australian number one, he successfully defended his title by finishing as the runner-up to Luke Humphries in the New Zealand Darts Masters.
During the competition in Hamilton, the 37-year-old Heta had impressive victories over his World Cup partner Simon Whitlock, reigning champion Rob Cross, and two-time World Champion Peter Wright. Reflecting on his win, Heta shared, “To win this trophy in honour of Kyle means a lot.” He was presented with the award by Anderson’s former manager Mac Elkin.
He added, “I won this last year, and to win it again this year just goes to show the impact that Kyle had. I feel it’s got to grow within the sport so the other players know what it’s going to represent, so I hope they can come along and start beating these guys!”
The boomerang-shaped trophy, designed by Ron Robinson with the base concept from Uncle Greg Savin and artwork by Uncle Tom Croft, pays homage to Anderson’s Aboriginal heritage and features his own palm print. Despite his brief time in the sport, Anderson made a significant impact by competing in seven World Championship events, representing Australia four times at the PDC World Cup of Darts, and hitting two televised nine-dart finishes.
