"It has to inspire, I’ve opened the floodgates to a billion of them": Emotional Nitin Kumar marvels at impact of being first Indian winner at Ally Pally

Nitin Kumar made history at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship by becoming the first player from India to win a match on the sport’s biggest stage, surviving a gripping encounter at Alexandra Palace that left him emotionally drained, physically exhausted and quietly proud of a journey almost 30 years in the making.

Asked moments after the match to put the achievement into words at the PDC World Darts Championship, Kumar could barely begin. “It’s not possible – I can’t,” he said post match including to DartsNews. “It’s opened the floodgates, sort of. I’ve been playing darts for close to 30 years and the dream is always to be a world champion. You’ve got to take it one step at a time – so 3–0, 3–0, 3–0.”

That sense of patience and perspective has defined Kumar’s career. Even a small breakthrough at Alexandra Palace last year proved pivotal. “Just taking that one set against Lukeman last year gave me so much confidence that, hey, you know what, I can do this,” he explained. “I didn’t expect to hit double after double against Richard, that’s for sure, but I’m glad I took the step, one step at a time.”

The contest itself was one of the games of the tournament so far, with both players producing sustained quality and nerve-shredding finishes. For Kumar, it was as stressful as it was exhilarating. “No, no, no,” he laughed. “My blood pressure is high – I’m going to get a heart attack right now. If this is what you have to do to win every day in the PDC, my God, I’d rather not. I love it.

“I love this. It was beautiful. I tried to give it my all – something I’ve never done to this level before, in front of that kind of crowd. It was wonderful.”

That crowd, overwhelmingly behind him, was another unfamiliar but welcome experience. “It was very weird,” Kumar admitted. “Normally I’m not used to this much support. It caught me off guard last year and I thought I’d take advantage of it this time – at the expense of Veenstra, of course. But it’s great to actually have the crowd on your side. Now we know how Paul Lim and Beau Greaves feel.”

Beyond the personal milestone, Kumar was acutely aware of what the win could represent for Indian darts. “Yeah, it has to inspire,” he said. “I’ve opened the floodgates to a billion of them. I’m sorry in ten years’ time if you have eight people in the World Championships walking on to Bollywood music or Punjabi MC – don’t blame me. It’s happening.”

Statistically, the performance stood out sharply against his numbers across the season, but Kumar dismissed the idea that anything dramatic had changed. “Nothing, really. I love the World Championships – it’s life-changing,” he said. “To be honest, I work. I don’t play darts full-time. Working takes a lot of my time and I don’t get to play that many tournaments in a year, so the sample size for 2025 isn’t that great.

“I play a lot of local tournaments back in Dubai, where I work, and my averages there are great, but no one sees that. Match practice has affected me, but it’s different on the World Championship stage. It’s different at Ally Pally. Last year’s confidence definitely helped me through this year.”

Dubai, he explained, has become a thriving darts hub. “Definitely,” Kumar said. “Three or four days a week you’re playing darts. You’re supposed to go there, work and save money – you can’t. You’re just playing darts all the time.

“There are lots of expats, lots of Asians, Filipinos, Scottish and British guys, loads of great players. Ex-county players come in every weekend and wipe the floor with me, so it’s fun.”

Despite juggling work and darts, the ambition to play full-time has never faded. “Always,” he said simply. “Always.”

The road to this moment, however, has been anything but straightforward. This appearance marked his fifth attempt at the World Championship. “It’s expensive to keep coming here and it’s hard to get a visa,” Kumar said. “How many tries does a person get before they lose self-belief?

“Two or three years ago I was thinking, am I just an above-average player in a country that’s not great at darts, where I just happen to be number one? I had to actually win and do something to realise that I can do something. And I’m happy I did.”

Whether this victory proves to be a turning point remains to be seen, but Kumar is clear about his approach. “I really hope so,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but it’ll be 110 per cent effort from my side. If it happens, it happens.”

While his doubling under pressure drew widespread praise, Kumar was keen to stay grounded. “Lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place,” he said. “I’ll take the positives, but I know I need to be more consistent on my triples. That’s what I’ll work on next time, no matter who I’m facing.”

For many viewers, this was their first introduction to Kumar. His journey into the sport began at an early age in Dubai. “I started playing when I was nine or ten – I’m 40 now,” he said. “My parents played darts in the local league. My dad had health issues when I was 13 or 14, so I practised with him a lot. He was one of the best players in Dubai.

“My mum didn’t want to go to a bar alone, so she took me with her. The organiser let me play and I won the tournament. Until I was 18 I couldn’t even enter a pub, so I just kept playing in Dubai.”

A move to India briefly took him away from the sport. “I didn’t even realise darts existed there,” he said. “I played basketball instead. Then social media came along – Orkut at the time – and I realised darts was there. I thought, OK, let’s start playing, and that’s how it began again.”

Family support remains central to everything he does. “My brother’s here,” Kumar said. “My mum and dad aren’t, but their support is always there. I’m sure my brother’s buying everyone a line of drinks right now. I live to fight another day, and I’m sure they’ll be happy.”

His opponent’s relentless pressure only heightened the drama. “I love Richard,” Kumar said. “He’s a great professional who’s taken the long road into the PDC, similar to me. I had to pull every straw to beat him and it took a lot out of me.

“You don’t normally see me that emotional. I’d rather mess around with the crowd, but that was something I’ve never done before.”

Past defeats still sit vividly in his memory. “I remember every game like it was yesterday,” he said. “Jeffrey de Zwaan destroyed me – unbelievable. The best game I ever played on stage was against Brendan Dolan, and he still took me apart. In the PDC, if you play badly you lose, and if you play great, you might win. I don’t think this was the best I’ve ever played. I know I can play better.”

For Kumar, the wider significance of the win lies in what it could spark back home. “There are lots of youngsters coming through,” he said. “They just need to see that it’s possible. If they think, ‘I’ve beaten this guy and he can do it on stage,’ that belief starts. You just need that small ember.”

Even getting to Alexandra Palace this year required resilience. “I put myself under pressure in the qualifier,” he admitted. “I changed my darts, thought I was playing well, but India is humid and my grip wasn’t right. I lost the first day, lost the second, went back to my old darts on the third day and somehow got through. I’m very lucky to even be here.”

The financial impact of victory is also significant. “£25,000 – that’s my yearly rent,” Kumar said. “More than that, it means I can play a lot more darts next year. That stability helps massively. Hopefully this is just the beginning.”

Looking further ahead, he believes India could one day host elite PDC events. “Definitely,” he said. “It’s the way forward. But like the IPL, you need strong local players. That’s on us darters to be good enough.”

Despite comparisons to Indian sporting icons, Kumar remains modest. “I won’t take those names,” he said. “I’ve felt like an underachiever all my life, but I’ve taken the first step now. I’ve got confidence and I’ll push next year and see where I’m at.”

As for his profile back home, he remains realistic. “Maybe 1,000 or 1,500 players knew me before today,” he said. “How many know me now, I’ve no idea. But it’s awareness we’re fighting for, and it’s moving in the right direction. Someone has to lead from the front. I’ll do my best, have fun, and if others follow, I’m happy. That’s how Indian darts moves forward.”