Kenyan darts player David Munyua has written his name into World Darts Championship history after producing a dramatic first-round victory on his tournament debut at Alexandra Palace in London.
The unseeded Munyua came from two sets down to defeat 18th seed Mike De Decker of Belgium 3–2, becoming the first Kenyan ever to win a match at the prestigious PDC World Darts Championship.
The contest, played on Thursday night, was packed with drama and quality. Munyua overcame early setbacks, including two costly miscounts, and maintained his composure in one of the sport’s most pressurised arenas. In an unusual moment, a wasp landed on his face mid-match — an incident later confirmed by the PDC, which said Munyua calmly removed the insect and placed it in his pocket before resuming play.
Adding to the fairytale, Munyua achieved the milestone using borrowed, budget-friendly darts from fellow professional Cam Crabtree, who had been eliminated earlier. Reacting on social media, Crabtree wrote: “David Munyua has done better than me with my own darts.”
Speaking after the match, Munyua admitted he had not anticipated such an outcome.
“It is amazing. I didn’t expect it, but now it has happened and I’m happy,” he told Sky Sports.
“I’m glad the miscount didn’t affect me. I stayed focused, concentrated and kept the momentum.”
By advancing to the second round, Munyua has secured a minimum of £25,000 in prize money, a remarkable achievement for a player who reportedly had never travelled outside Africa prior to the tournament and had appealed for sponsorship to cover travel and accommodation costs.
The match itself was of exceptional quality. Munyua, who only began 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 flirted with perfection, landing seven flawless darts before narrowly missing treble 19.
The Belgian’s defeat made him the fifth seeded player eliminated in the opening round, joining Ross Smith and Dimitri Van den Bergh among early exits.
Munyua, who qualified through the African Darts Group, will next face either Kevin Doets or Matthew Dennant, with a potential third-round clash against former World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall looming if his run continues.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Munyua said the reaction back home had been overwhelming.
“It’s going crazy back in my country — everybody is saying, ‘we did it’. It’s a great feeling,” he said.
“Darts is a simple game. You don’t need acres of land — just a room, a board and darts. I hope it grows in Africa the way it has here.”
He also paid tribute to his colleagues at work for supporting his sporting ambitions alongside his professional career.
Reflecting on the winning moment, Munyua added:
“I couldn’t feel my hands. The crowd was going crazy. I had to calm myself because it was do-or-die — Mike is a top player.”
While congratulating Munyua, De Decker later criticised the Alexandra Palace crowd for booing and whistling during the match, calling the behaviour inconsistent with complaints made when UK players face similar treatment abroad.
Munyua’s historic achievement has sparked nationwide celebration in Kenya. President William Ruto joined Kenyans in congratulating the darts star, praising his fearless comeback and describing the victory as one of the tournament’s most memorable moments.
With his debut triumph, David Munyua has not only announced himself on the global stage but has also opened a new chapter for Kenyan and African darts.
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