"I'll be here next year!" - 70-year-old Paul Lim seemingly reverses retirement decision after defeat in Lakeside final

Paul Lim's fairytale farewell lit up the 2024 WDF World Championship. The 70-year-old darting legend couldn't quite get his hands on a first world title at the Lakeside however, as Shane McGuirk proved a step too far in the final, winning 6-3.

Over the years, 'The Singapore Slinger' has left an indelible mark on the darting world. Making his World Championship debut all the way back in 1982 (13 years before McGuirk was even born!), when he lost in the first round to Dave Whitcombe, Lim famously hit the first ever nine-darter on the Lakeside stage at the 1990 edition, earning a bonus prize of £52,000 (equivalent to around £150,000 today ed.) for his perfection.

Before this week though, Lim had never really gone deep at a World Championship, a sole quarter-final run from 1990 being the best of his previous 26 attempts. This week at the Lakeside though, magic was in the air as Lim confidently dispatched Moreno Blom in straight sets, before holding off a comeback from good friend Kai-Fan Leung in round 2. Gary Stone then fell in five sets in the last 16 before Kim prevailed 4-3 over Jarno Bottenberg in an enthralling quarterfinal and then booked his spot in the final with a dominant straight sets victory over Jason Brandon.

In a nervy opening to the final, Lim missed darts for the first set with McGuirk punishing to move one up. From there, the Irish ace looked to have settled down, reeling off the next three sets without reply to reach the second break 4-0 up. Lim though, wasn't done just yet, fighting back and taking three of the next four sets to keep himself alive at 5-3 down. As the final break halted the Singaporean's momentum though, McGuirk was able to refocus himself and secure the victory in set 9.

On stage post-match, Lim shared his immediate reaction. "What can I say?" Lim laughs. "All I can say is thank you! I want to thank the crowd, the people that have been here have been amazing."

"I was down there, but like I always say: never give up! And that's what I do in life, never give up," The 70-year-old Singaporean continued. "I'll be here next year!" Lim concludes, teasing the possibility of one more World Championship after previously announcing this to be his last.