• OTHERS

• Frank Rotich 2 days ago

‎Kenya’s Munyua makes history as he shocks world number 18 De Decker at Darts Worlds

Kenya’s David Munyua announced himself on the world stage with a stunning comeback win at the PDC World Darts Championship in London, shocking world number 18 Mike de Decker in his debut match at Alexandra Palace.

The 30-year-old Kenyan fought back from two sets down to beat the Belgian 3–2 in a dramatic encounter on Thursday afternoon, producing one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far.

Playing in his first World Championship, Munyua showed great composure despite the pressure. De Decker looked on course for victory after moving within one set of winning the match, but the Kenyan refused to give up.

Munyua missed chances to win both the second and third sets but stayed calm, eventually taking the third, edging the fourth and forcing a deciding fifth set. In the final set, he was broken early but responded with a brilliant 135 finish to level the match before holding his nerve to seal a famous victory.

The Nairobi-born player, who works as a veterinary doctor, qualified for the tournament through the African Darts Group Qualifier. Speaking after the match, Munyua described the win as “amazing” and said it was a huge moment “for the sport, for Africa and for Kenya”.

Former world champion Mark Webster praised the performance, saying the match showed what the World Championship is all about. He added that Munyua’s victory proved darts is truly becoming a global sport.

For De Decker, the loss continued his poor record at the World Championship, having failed to go beyond the last 64 in six appearances despite being a top-ranked player.

Earlier in the afternoon, Japan’s Motomu Sakai impressed on his debut with a straight-sets win over France’s Thibault Tricole, winning over the crowd with his energetic walk-on. England’s Ryan Joyce and Callan Rydz also recorded comfortable victories.

In the evening session, former history-maker Fallon Sherrock was set to face Dave Chisnall, while three-time champion Michael van Gerwen was due to begin his campaign against Mitsuhiko Tatsunami.

Munyua’s victory is expected to inspire a new generation of darts players in Kenya and across Africa, marking a proud moment for the country on the global sporting stage.