Singapore septuagenarian sensation, Paul Lim is a timeless tungsten legend who continues to not just qualify for the PDC World Championships, he is still winning on that iconic stage he has made his own. Just ask Jeffrey De Graaf who is already a victim this time around.
There are dart players, and then there is this 71-year old phenom – a man who has spent more than four decades casually refusing to age, fade away, or accept that darts is supposed to be dominated by people half his age with elbows made of carbon fibre. Lim is not just Singapore’s greatest ever darting export – he is one of the sport’s great constants. An immovable object. A walking, throwing, softly-spoken reminder that class does not expire.
- Name: Paul Lim
- Nickname: The Singapore Slinger
- Born: 24/01/1954
- Nationality: Singapore
- Laterality: Right-handed
- Highest PDC Ranking: N/A
- Darts: 23g Target Signature
- Walk-on Tune: Walk of Life by Dire Straits
Born in Singapore in 1954, Lim emerged onto the world stage in an era when darts was still finding its global voice. While the spotlight was firmly fixed on smoky British pubs and lager-fuelled icons, Lim quietly went about becoming the most recognisable face of Asian darts, long before the sport truly knew what to do with Asia. And then came 1984. Lakeside. The World Championships. History.
Paul Lim produced the first ever televised nine-dart finish on the world stage, detonating darts folklore in a moment so perfect it still echoes today. It wasn’t just nine darts. It was nine statements. Precision, calm, ice in the veins. A Singaporean player, although Paul has been resident elsewhere multiple times over his life and career, standing tall in a very British arena and announcing, politely but firmly, I belong here.
DARTS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 1990: Paul Lim Perfect Leg 9 Darter
That moment alone would have been enough for immortality. Lim decided to do more. Through the 80s and 90s he remained a regular presence at major tournaments, collecting wins, respect, and admiration in equal measure. He never chased hype. Never chased headlines. He simply kept turning up, playing beautifully controlled darts, and reminding everyone that fundamentals matter.
PAUL LIM IN FACTS AND FIGURES: Check out PAUL LIM’s full career profile on dartsdatabase.co.uk
Then came the second act. The one most players never get. As darts exploded into a faster, louder, younger spectacle, Paul Lim did the unthinkable – he kept qualifying. World Championships. World Cups. TV stages filled with players who grew up watching him. While others retired to after-dinner speeches, Lim was still walking onto stages to thunderous applause, smiling like a man who knew a secret the rest of us hadn’t worked out yet. And he kept winning matches.
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Not symbolic wins. Real ones. Against seeded players. Against hype machines. Against opponents young enough to be his grandchildren, yet still learning lessons in rhythm, composure, and respect. Lim’s career isn’t defined by trophies – it’s defined by longevity, consistency, and quiet excellence. He is the bridge between eras. The proof that darts is not just power and pace, but touch, timing, and temperament.
In Singapore, he is a sporting icon. Across Asia, a pioneer. Globally, a cult hero. Every time he steps onto a stage, the crowd knows they’re watching something rare – not just a player, but living history.
Paul Lim didn’t just open the door for Asian darts. He kicked it in, held it open for decades, and is still standing there today – darts in hand, smiling politely, and asking if anyone fancies a game.
Well, Luke Humphries certainly wouldn’t mind one. And he is who Lim faces next on the Ally Pally stage in the 2026 event.
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC (main) and WDF
