"We are making history” - Incredible Taiwan duo keep hopes alive of first Asian World Cup of Darts winner

In the biggest shock of the 2024 World Cup of Darts so far, Taiwan stunned the Republic of Ireland in the final group game of Group E, topping the group and reaching the last 16 of the tournament in the process.

In the deciding match in Group E, Teng Lieh Pupo and An-Sheng Lu were 4-3 too strong for experienced top darters William O'Connor and Keane Barry. It was not that the Irish played badly either, as they threw an average of 94. That was matched by the darters from Taipei with a 95 average.

“It’s very exciting, we are making history,” reflected a gleeful Teng-Lieh Pupo in their post-match press conference, full of praise for his teammate, An-Sheng Lu's stunning performance in the match, which included a 107 individual average and a sensational 132 checkout. “That 132 finish was incredible. If he didn’t hit that we would maybe lose the game, but he is a fantastic player, and we are so happy.”

Not many held hopes for Taiwan ahead of the tournament, however the growing strength of Asian darts was clear for all to see with the consistently quality performances of the pair throughout the opening two group games. "We believed we could do this!" the duo insist though. "We keep telling each other; 'We can do this!' and we can do more. With this performance we are very excited."

In William O'Connor and Keane Barry, Taiwan also defeated two very established PDC Tour Card holders. "They are very, very good players. But really, we were just very lucky and as always, we did our very best," the Taiwan duo conclude.

In the last 16, a showdown with Austria awaits for Taiwan on Saturday. Can the Asian duo pull off another shock and keep hopes alive for a first World Cup of Darts success for the Eastern continent?