A walking football manager has said a tournament organised to raise awareness of prostate cancer “will save someone’s life”.

Teams from across the UK came together for the football event in Abingdon, Oxfordshire on Wednesday, and tests for prostate cancer were offered to players and supporters.

All the players who took part in the tournament were over 50 years of age and one of them was Michael O’Byrne, who lives in Oxfordshire but was representing Ireland.

He said he had no symptoms when he found out he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

His routine test came back positive and he wants to encourage more men to press their GP for screening.

“They can be fortunate like me, catch the disease early and have little or no consequences from the operative procedures,” he said.

“Had I not had the tests I probably wouldn’t be here today.”

Men aged 50 and over in the UK can request a free Prostate Specific Antigen blood test from their GP if they are concerned about prostate cancer, even without symptoms.

Morris Weightman, a player for Abingdon Almost Athletic Walking Football Club was one of the men to take advantage of the on site testing.

He believes there is a reluctance among some men to speak to their doctor about health concerns.

He said: “I think the nice thing about being in a big group like this walking football club is we get to talk to each other and more and more of us share with each other the fact that getting tested at any opportunity is just hugely beneficial.”

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c70dp8yzw8po

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