Kenya’s David Munyua stuns darts fans with World Championship debut

The unseeded Kenyan player staged an incredible comeback, overturning a 2-0 deficit to defeat the 18th seed, Mike De Decker, 3-2 in a thrilling encounter on Thursday. This victory marks the first time a Kenyan has ever won a match on the iconic Alexandra Palace stage.

Munyua's path to victory was anything but ordinary. He overcame two costly miscounts and even a bizarre mid-match encounter with a wasp that landed on his face.

In a surprising twist, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) later confirmed that David Munyua had dispatched the insect and placed it in his pocket before continuing his stunning performance.

Adding to the legend of his debut, Munyua achieved this historic win using a set of budget-friendly darts borrowed from fellow player Cam Crabtree. Crabtree, who was eliminated in his own first-round match, expressed his astonishment on social media.

"David Munyua has done better than me with my own darts," Crabtree posted, acknowledging the Kenyan's impressive feat.

On his part, speaking to Sky Sports, David Munyua said: "It is amazing. I didn’t expect it. But now it has happened, and I’m happy about it."

"I’m happy the miscount didn’t affect me. I came back and still got the momentum, was focused and concentrated. I’m just happy the game didn’t go foul. Thank you so much. Why not?!"

By advancing to the second round, David Munyua has guaranteed himself a minimum of £25,000 in prize money.

His journey to the tournament was a challenge in itself, as he had reportedly never left Africa before and had to appeal for sponsorship to cover his flight and accommodation costs for the London event.

The match itself was a high-quality affair. David Munyua, who only started playing darts three years ago, survived match darts from De Decker and, at one point, was six darts into a perfect nine-dart leg. De Decker also came close to perfection, hitting seven consecutive perfect darts before missing a crucial treble 19.

With this upset, De Decker becomes the fifth-seeded player to be knocked out in the opening round, joining the likes of Ross Smith and Dimitri Van den Bergh.

David Munyua, who qualified through the African Darts Group, will now face either Kevin Doets or Matthew Dennant in the next round.

A potential third-round clash with former World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall could await if he continues his giant-killing run.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live shortly after his win, Munyua said: "It's going crazy back in my country - everybody is like 'we did it'. It's a great feeling.

"Earlier today, most of the people were saying, 'This is the day now, are you ready?'

"Darts is a simple game. You don't need acres of land to play - you only need a room with a board and the darts. I hope it's going to be as big [in Africa] as it is here."

Munyua said he was grateful for the support of his work colleagues, who have allowed him to follow his sporting dreams alongside his career.

Reflecting on hitting the winning double, he added, "I could not feel my hands. I was trying to be relaxed. I had to calm down as much as I could and try to concentrate because the crowd was going crazy about it.

"It was either do-or-die because Mike is a top player."

Meanwhile, De Decker praised Munyua on social media for his victory but was unhappy with the conduct of the Alexandra Palace crowd during the match.

He posted on Instagram: "Well done to David, but the crowd wow... booing and whistling shouldn't be something that's normal or supported.

"First to complain when it happens to UK players in Europe, but then doing the exact same thing when the tournament is in the UK."

Following his historic achievement, David Munyua is expected to receive a hero's welcome upon his return to Kenya, much like his compatriot Peter Wachiuri, who was celebrated after becoming the first African player to reach a Modus Super Series weekly final earlier this year.

Already, President William Ruto has joined Kenyans online to congratulate the remarkable darts star. Taking to his X account, Ruto wrote: "Congratulations David Munyua on your remarkable victory in round one at the Paddy Power World Darts Championship." 

"By defeating Belgium’s Mike De Decker, an established champion, with a fearless comeback from two sets down, you delivered one of the most memorable moments in the tournament’s history."

He added, "You have also made history for Kenya as the first Kenyan to compete in the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in London, and announced your arrival on the global darts stage."