Paul Lim aiming for another World Cup of Darts stunner with new partner Tan Phuay Wei
Paul Lim (left) and Tan Phuay Wei will represent Singapore at the June 12-15 World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt, Germany. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
SINGAPORE – Hinting that his playing career could be coming to an end soon, Singaporean septuagenarian Paul Lim is hoping to write another chapter into his own folklore at the June 12-15 World Cup of Darts at the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt, Germany.
'Anything can happen,' Lim told The Straits Times. 'Before I retire, I want to qualify for the World Cup, the PDC World Darts Championship, and the Dartslive Super Darts, and now I've ticked one off the bucket list.'
'We have done well to qualify, and while it's going to be tough, I believe any team can beat any team on their day,' he added before a meet-and-greet session with him and teammate Tan Phuay Wei at the Forest5 Darts Cafe on June 9, ahead of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) event. Dartslive and Forest5 will be sponsoring the Singapore team's expenses at the tournament for the first time.
The 71-year-old certainly knows what he is talking about, as he continues to pull off remarkable feats from behind the oche since picking up the game 50 years ago.
His favourite memory at the World Cup was stunning top seeds Gary Anderson and Peter Wright of Scotland in the first round in 2017 when he recorded Singapore's best finish by reaching the quarter-finals with Harith Lim, his partner at 10 previous editions.
Then, there was another first-round giant-killing act two years later, when they knocked out Welsh third seeds Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton.
In 2024, Paul Lim went on a fairy-tale run to the WDF World Darts Championship final in 2024, before he paired with Tan to qualify for June's World Cup of Darts.
Despite his immense experience, Paul Lim and his partner will enter uncharted territory in Germany, as the Singapore team face the home side of Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko, and Portugal, comprising Jose de Sousa and Bruno Nascimento, for the first time.
With a hearty laugh, the seasoned campaigner said: 'I have a very good history in Germany in both steel-tip and soft-tip darts as I went there to do a lot of promotion and exhibition matches 30 years ago. I believe I have a place in the hearts of a lot of Germans so I hope I don't get the boos.'
Though he took issue with how teams such as India and Bahrain were awarded wildcards, while Singapore had to secure their spot through the PDC Asia Qualifier, he had no problems with the tournament format introduced in 2023 featuring only doubles matches and a group-stage first round.
Paul Lim said: 'Playing doubles all the way feels more like a team game, and even though it's tougher to advance as the top team from a group of three, we have to beat teams any way if we want to progress in the tournament.'
He also hopes a good performance can inspire the next generation of local darters, and added: 'I hope darts will be in the Olympics. It may not be in my lifetime, but with 18-year-old world champion Luke Littler sparking a new wave of youngsters, there's a chance it will get there.'
If Paul Lim is aging like fine wine, then Tan is like the new cocktail on the menu, as the real estate agent makes his first foray into the world of steel-tip darts.
The 36-year-old, one of the 2024 Dartslive official players, has played electronic darts for 11 years and was part of the Singapore All-Stars team who finished second at the 2019 Dartslive Super League World Championship.
But he has done well to collect points from steel-tip events in China, Japan and Malaysia to finish as the top two local players alongside Paul Lim to represent Singapore in the PDC Asia Qualifier.
While the two dart versions are similar, Tan noted the challenges and adjustments he has had to make in switching to steel tips.
'The steel-tip dartboard segments are smaller than the electronic dartboard, and the way the darts enter the board is different, so we have to adjust accordingly to avoid hitting the previous dart and missing the target or causing the darts to fall.
'I'm actually more excited than nervous. My biggest issue is more of the calculation and setting up for my partner because unlike electronic darts, we have to do the math (and count down from 501) ourselves. We will do our best to communicate.
'I didn't really know about steel-tip darts before this, but Uncle Paul motivated me to play and believed in my ability. I'm confident that I'll do my best and I'm also confident because my partner is Uncle Paul. He is really amazing to still be playing at such a high level at his age.'
Returning the compliment, Paul Lim noted his partner's ability to hit the triples.
He said: 'I've seen him play soft-tip darts, and capability is capability. People ask me if finishing is more important than scoring, I say no because if you can't score, you have no chance to finish.
'Phuay Wei is a powerhouse in scoring, and like I said, if we can score well as a team and have a shot at the doubles, anything can happen.'
Singapore will play Germany and Portugal in Group C on June 13 at the World Cup, which featured 40 teams, with England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland receiving byes into the second round and the rest divided into 12 groups of three.
David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis.
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