Paul Lim excited for World Cup of Darts and admits sport has 'changed a lot'
"The world of darts has changed a lot. It's buzzing everywhere. In Asia especially. I'm so glad we have the PDC Asia Tour now."
Thursday 6 June 2019 13:31, UK
Paul Lim, 65 years young, is heading to Hamburg for the World Cup of Darts with a spring in his step.
After throwing the first ever nine-dart finish in a World Championship 29 years ago, the Singaporean hasn't lost his appetite for the oche.
"Sooner or later, I know things will come to an end, that's life," he told the Darts Show Podcast.
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"I love darts so much. I have that passion, and I feel excited right now with the tournaments, meeting new players, teaching the younger generation, I love that.
"But sooner or later, it's going to stop. But I still will be involved in the darts scene for sure.
"The world of darts has changed a lot. It's buzzing everywhere. In Asia especially. I'm so glad we have the PDC Asia Tour now."
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For now, there is a very clear goal in mind.
'The Singapore Slinger', along with Harith Lim (no relation) will represent their nation in the World Cup of Darts as they take on Wales in the opening round.
The pair are no strangers to causing an upset, after defeating Scotland duo Gary Anderson and Peter Wright in the tournament two years ago. The veteran feels they hold certain advantages ahead of their meeting with Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton.
"I always feel if there's any chance of the lower ranked countries to win, it's in the first round," he explained.
"It is a tough format, especially when two players don't play together that often. In the soft tip world, we play doubles all the time.
"So you get used to each other a lot more. I think it does give us a little bit of a chance in the sense of winning the first round.
"If you start off good, and get into your flow, a panic button comes on [for the opponent].
"I think we have an equal chance [against Wales]. If I were a betting man, I would put money on myself and Harith because of the odds. I think our odds are going to be massive."
Darts is continuing to grow in Asia, and players like Lim helped pave the way for its success.
"I think it's [growing] because of the PDC Asia Tour. I think it really helps a lot," he added.
"With the darts being shown on TV now and people being able to see what's happening, with the PDC circuit and all that going on, the prize money has grown so much, [people say] 'wow, I wish I could be a professional darts player'.
"It definitely has grown within the last two years.
"Just imagine if China were to be included (in the World Cup). The population, it would be overwhelming!
"This World Cup is almost like a stepping stone for us. For us, our next tournament will be fighting for the World Championship at the end of the year, so the tour is just starting its sixth stage right now. The top players are all on the World Cup teams. There's nothing much between the top eight players in the PDC Asia Tour."
For evergreen Lim, it's full steam ahead to the World Cup, as he aims to build momentum ahead of the second half of the year.
The ultimate goal for 2019? Qualify for a 24th World Championship.
"I want to," he smiled. "That's why I'm chasing the tour right now. I'm in the fourth spot right now, but the only difference is 100 dollars. It's very close. The next [tournament] will be in Taiwan, the seventh and eight stages. Every stage you win is going to be a big plus. I hope I can win a couple of stages."
The World Cup of Darts takes place at the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg from June 6-9. You can also stay up-to-date with all the action by following us @SkySportsDarts and get all the latest news, previews and interviews www.skysports.com/darts
