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Paul Lim gets World Championship spot for 26th time, £7,500 in the bag

The evergreen Paul Lim has earned his ticket to his 26th World Darts Championship after winning the Singapore leg of the Asian Tour qualifiers at the Forest 3 darts pub along Anson Road yesterday.

The 67-year-old Singaporean beat his World Cup of Darts partner Harith Lim 5-3 in the final to progress to the £2.5 million (S$4.54 million) Professional Darts Corporation event, which will be held at London's Alexandra Palace from Dec 15 to Jan 3. He is guaranteed at least £7,500 in prize money.

Lim, who made his World Championship debut in 1982, laughed when reminded he could face darters whose age in years does not even reach the number of editions he has played. But he was unfazed as he added: "On my day, I feel I can match anyone."

And so it proved, as he came back from 2-1 down to beat his 51-year-old opponent in the final despite having to play five matches in six hours.

The closed-door event featured 32 players and Covid-19 protocols such as mask-wearing, safe distancing, and the sanitising of equipment after every match.

Lim, who trains in spurts that total four hours a day and maintains stamina through swimming and golfing, said: "I'm a bit worn out, but I pulled through with persistence. I'm confident about my capabilities, I don't miss my practice routine and so I'm always prepared. At the World Championships, it is one match a day, so it should be easier."

Known as The Singapore Slinger, Lim is fondly remembered for being the first to record a perfect nine-dart finish and run down 501 points to exactly zero at the 1990 World Championship.

Not only did he achieve his best finish by reaching the quarter-finals, he also pocketed a £52,000 nine-dart checkout prize, which was more than double the £24,000 Phil Taylor received for winning the first of his record 16 World Championships.

In 2018, Lim showed he has lost none of his prowess by stunning 2008 British Darts Organisation World Championship winner Mark Webster 3-2 in the first round.

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