World Darts Championship debutants David Munyua and Motomu Sakai delivered stunning upset victories amid dramatic first-round scenes at Alexandra Palace on Thursday.
The pair lit up the Alexandra Palace stage and quickly became fan favourites courtesy of dazzling performances full of dancing, power scoring and even miscounts.
Munyua, a full-time vet and the first Kenyan player to qualify for the event, came from 2-0 down against Mike De Decker, the 2024 World Grand Prix champion, to win 3-2 after Japan's Sakai had earlier defeated experienced Frenchman Thibault Tricole 3-0.
Munyua booked his place at the tournament after winning the African Darts Group Championship qualifier, while Sakai finished third on the PDC Asian Order of Merit.
Munyua, who took out 135 during the deciding set and also had a perfect six-dart start to a leg in the fourth, told Your Site Darts: "It is amazing. I didn't expect it. But now it has happened and I'm happy about it.
"It is a very big moment for the sport itself, for Africa and Kenya. It is humbling. The sport can grow. I'm happy I did my best.
"I'm happy the miscount [in the fourth set] didn't affect me. I came back and still got the momentum, was focused and concentrated. I'm just happy the game didn't go foul."
Sakai had earlier wowed the crowd with some extravagant dancing during his maiden walk-on before an impressive display against Tricole which included check-outs of 121 and 148.
The Japanese player, speaking through an interpreter, said in his post-match press conference: "I believe the more I dance, the more my darts fly!"
In the afternoon session's other two matches on the penultimate day of round-one action, Ryan Joyce won the all-English duel against Owen Bates 3-0 while compatriot Callan Rydz defeated Hungary's Patrik Kovacs in straight sets.
De Decker took aim at the Alexandra Palace crowd following his shock defeat to Munyua.
The Belgian was roundly booed during the match with the audience getting behind underdog Munyua.
De Decker posted on Instagram: "Well done to David but the crowd wow… booing and whistling shouldn't be something that's normal or supported.
"First to complain when it happens to UK players in Europe but then doing the exact same thing when the tournament is in the UK."
Once again De Decker made an early exit from the World Championship. This was his sixth successive appearance at Alexandra Palace and he has yet to progress past the second round.
Your Site' Mark Webster said the performances of debutants Sakai and Munyua prove darts is truly becoming a global sport.
"We were talking about debutants at the top of the show," said Webster. "They've done themselves more than justice.
"Sakai embraced the walk-on but then he backed it up - he hit three 140s with his first three visits. It was a good display, like he had played there before.
"He's an excitable, lovable character who enjoyed every moment, even when it didn't go his way in a couple of legs.
"He was determined to make the most of being on that big stage. He's going to be a huge threat to Andreas Harrysson in the next round."
Webster hailed the character shown by Munyua, who found himself 2-0 down against De Decker only to produce a comeback for the ages.
The veterinarian looked to have blown his chances of victory due to miscounts, including during one leg where he opened with six perfect darts, only to rally for a shock victory.
"That is what the World Championship is about," said Webster. "Forget about the stats of it in terms of big averages, it had drama all the way through.
"Mike De Decker obviously won't sleep for a while now but it's all about David Munyua. He put in a big performance. It had a bit of everything. It had miscounts, mis-shots, celebrations and drama.
"We are going global.
"I read on social media that Munyua was trying to get sponsorship to get over here and play in the tournament. He's just won an extra £10,000 so he can reinvest in his career.
"He dug in deep - he could have won the second set but let it slip from his grasp, and he deserved to win that. Mike wilted from two sets up but it maybe should have been 1-1. He held himself together at 2-0 when he could have just thrown in the towel, but he found a way.
"There were miscounts galore but it doesn't matter. He got over the line in the end. It's a massive victory for him and his country."
Sakai faces Sweden's Andreas Harrysson during the first tranche of second-round matches on Saturday.
Munyua will play either Kevin Doets or Matthew Dennant, whose round-one match opens Friday afternoon's session, on Monday.
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