2024 ST Athlete of the Year nominee Paul Lim

Q: Tell us about how you started playing at a London pub, Robin Hood, 50 years ago.

I was living then in Chiswick, London, and Robin Hood was the closest pub to my home. And they had darts there.

Q: You have lived and worked in Singapore, the United States, England, Hong Kong, Japan and Papua New Guinea. Which was the most memorable?

In a strange way Papua New Guinea brings back a lot of great memories. Most importantly, I represented them in the Pacific Cup and won the singles title.

It was my first time playing for a foreign country, and my opponent in the final was an American called Jerry Umberger.

We became friends and then he shared with me about the American darts circuit that had good prize money, and he encouraged me to move to the US which I eventually did.

Q: What is your aim in 2025?

I want to give it my all in darts as I know I am getting older and it is not getting any easier.

While I still have the passion and dedication and the love of competition, I want to do the unthinkable and reach the unreachable.

Q: What did you do with the £52,000 you won from making a perfect nine-darter at the 1990 world championship?

I used the money to start my darts business in the US, selling accessories and supplying soft-tip machines to locations and operating leagues, tournaments and events.

Q: Among a nine-darter, golf hole-in-one, bowling 300 and a snooker 147, which is more difficult and why?

I really think there’s a bit of luck involved in the break for a 147, and also the hole-in-one even though you need the skill to hit the ball towards the cup.

But for the nine-darter, you have