New Kenyan darts hero gets to visit his favorite football club in London: “Attending a match is really a big deal for supporters in Kenya”

David Munyua experienced a life-changing day at Alexandra Palace on Thursday. The Kenyan, the first player from his country ever to compete at the World Darts Championship, not only produced one of the tournament’s biggest shocks but also saw a personal dream come true.

After his sensational win over Mike De Decker, the 30-year-old Munyua was told he will soon be able to attend a match of his beloved Chelsea.

The 3-2 victory over the Belgian world number eighteen was historic in its own right. Munyua became the first African player from outside South Africa to win a match at the World Darts Championship. That achievement being followed by an unexpected gift from the PDC completed the afternoon.

“This is amazing,” Munyua told Viaplay. “So many people said before I traveled to London: ‘Don’t forget to go to Chelsea.’ Visiting a Chelsea match is really a big thing for supporters in Kenya. This feels so good.”

The road to Alexandra Palace was anything but straightforward for Munyua. The Kenyan traveled earlier this week from Nairobi via Ethiopia to London, a journey that took a full day. The costs rose to over 2,000 euros, a considerable sum for someone who makes his living as a veterinarian.

Only since the coronavirus pandemic has Munyua focused seriously on darts. He surprisingly booked his place at the Worlds through the African qualifier. Against De Decker he was, on paper, a clear outsider. That role seemed confirmed in the first two sets, when the Belgian opened up a 2-0 lead.

“After the first two sets I thought: why am I struggling so much right now? Calm down and focus. I had to give my all, for myself and the entire African continent.”

Those words proved more than empty self-talk. From the third set the match swung. Munyua started to play with freedom, found his scoring, and increasingly forced De Decker into errors. The Ally Pally crowd also began to rally strongly behind the Kenyan.

Yet that support barely reached Munyua. “But I didn’t even hear the crowd,” he said. “I felt my heartbeat. I just thought: I either do it or I don’t, this is the moment.”

In the deciding fifth set, Munyua even went a break down, but with an impressive 135 checkout he leveled the match. Not long after, he sealed it with a dart at double 20, to the crowd’s disbelief and his opponent’s dismay.

With his victory, Munyua not only made personal history but also firmly put African darts on the map. His reaction afterwards spoke volumes about the significance of the moment. “This was 100 percent the best match of my career,” said Munyua. “I’m living my dream.”

That dream continues on Monday. In the second round, Munyua awaits a clash with Kevin Doets or Matthew Dennant. Whatever happens, his name is already indelibly linked to this World Championship edition.

And as if that were not enough, another highlight awaits him away from the oche. Thanks to a ticket from the PDC, the Kenyan will soon take his seat at Stamford Bridge, for a match of the club he has followed since he was ten. For David Munyua, London became the stage for sporting and personal magic.