Overview
- Munyua came from two sets down to beat Mike De Decker 3-2, surviving match darts and sealing the decider with a 135 checkout after a six-dart perfect start earlier in the match.
- The 30-year-old veterinarian is the first Kenyan to qualify for and play at the event, having earned his spot via the African Darts Group qualifier, and he next faces the winner of Kevin Doets vs Matthew Dennant.
- Reaction in Kenya surged, with President William Samoei Ruto publicly congratulating Munyua and urging him to bring the trophy home.
- De Decker praised Munyua but condemned booing and whistling from the Alexandra Palace crowd in a post-match Instagram statement.
- Elsewhere in the opening round, Japan’s Motomu Sakai also won on debut, five-time champion Raymond van Barneveld lost to Switzerland’s Stefan Bellmont, and James Wade advanced in straight sets as early upsets underscored the tournament’s global reach.