Paul Lim facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Lim
Personal information
Full name	Paul Lim Leong Hwa 林良華
Nickname	"The Singapore Slinger"
Born	(1954-01-25) 25 January 1954 (age 71) Singapore
Darts information
Playing darts since	1973
Darts	21g Target
Laterality	Right-handed
Walk-on music	"Walk of Life" by Dire Straits preceded opening from "Fanfare for the Common Man" by Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO	1980–1994
PDC	1994–
WDF	1980–1994, 2019–
Current world ranking	53 (6 October 2022) (WDF)
BDO majors – best performances
World Ch'ship	Runner Up: 2024
World Masters	Last 16: 1981, 1985, 1987, 1988
PDC premier events – best performances
World Ch'ship	Last 16: 2001
World Matchplay	Quarter Final: 1995
World Grand Prix	Last 16: 1998, 1999
Desert Classic	Last 32: 2004
US Open/WSoD	Last 64: 2008, 2010
Other tournament wins
Australian Grand Masters 1983 Bud Brick Memorial 2022 Camellia Classic 1994 Colorado Open 2005 Darts America 1986, 1990 Golden Gate Classic 1987 Hong Kong Open 1989, 1992, 1998, 2000, 2001 Houston Open 1980, 1987, 1995 Japan Open 2022 Los Angeles Open 1987, 1993 Malaysian Open 1980 Oregon Open 1999 Singapore Open 1992, 1993 Virginia Beach Classic 1992, 1998 PDC Asian Tour 2018, 2019 (x2), 2023 PDC Asia Qualifier 2017 Bullshooter World Ch'ship 1996 Dartslive France 2017 Dartslive Hong Kong 2012 Dartslive Korea 2016 Dartslive Taipei 2016 THE WORLD 2011 Ulaanbaatar Open 2023, 2024
Other achievements
First player to achieve nine-dart finish at World Championships (1990)
Medal record Men's Darts Representing  Papua New Guinea WDF Asia-Pacific Cup Gold 1980 Newcastle Men's singles Gold 1980 Newcastle Team event Gold 1984 Honolulu Men's singles Gold 1986 Auckland Men's singles Representing  United States WDF Asia-Pacific Cup Gold 1988 Tokyo Team event Gold 1990 Singapore Mixed pairs Gold 1990 Singapore Team event Gold 1990 Singapore Men's overall Silver 1990 Singapore Men's singles Silver 1990 Singapore Men's pairs Representing  Singapore WDF World Cup Bronze 1987 Copenhagen Men's singles Bronze 1989 Toronto Men's pairs IDF World Ch'ship Silver 2013 Shanghai Men's singles Representing  Hong Kong WDF World Cup Silver 2019 Cluj Men's team
Updated on 19 November 2007.

Paul Lim Leong Hwa, born on January 25, 1954, is a professional darts player from Singapore. He is famous for being the first player to achieve a perfect nine-dart finish in a World Championship darts match. This amazing feat happened in 1990 during the Embassy World Darts Championship. A nine-dart finish is when a player scores 501 points in just nine throws, which is the fewest possible. Paul Lim was also the runner-up at the 2024 WDF Lakeside World Championship.

Paul Lim's Darts Journey

Paul Lim started his journey in the World Championship in 1982. For many years, he didn't get past the second round of the tournament. However, 1990 was a special year for him.

The Historic Nine-Dart Finish

In 1990, Paul Lim made history. He threw a perfect nine-dart finish against Jack McKenna in the second round of the Embassy World Darts Championship. This incredible achievement earned him a huge bonus prize of £52,000! That year, he reached the quarter-finals, which was his best result in that event. He eventually lost to Cliff Lazarenko.

Switching Darts Organizations

In 1994, Paul Lim decided to join the World Darts Council, which is now known as the PDC. This is another major darts organization. He played in the PDC World Championship many times between 1997 and 2002, but he didn't have as much success there.

Later Career Highlights

Paul Lim continued to play darts and made a return to the PDC World Championship in 2013. He qualified as the World Soft Tip Champion. He won his first match but then lost to Michael van Gerwen, who was a top player.

In 2014, Paul Lim started playing for Singapore in the PDC World Cup of Darts alongside Harith Lim. They had some exciting matches. In 2017, they caused a big surprise at the World Cup. They beat the top-ranked Scottish team, which included famous players Gary Anderson and Peter Wright. This win helped Singapore reach the quarter-finals for the first time ever!

Paul Lim continued to show his skill. In the 2018 PDC World Darts Championship, he beat a seeded player, Mark Webster. He then faced Gary Anderson again and almost hit another nine-dart finish, missing by just one dart! He also had a great performance in the 2018 World Cup of Darts, beating world champion Rob Cross in a singles match.

He kept qualifying for the PDC World Championship in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, showing his long-lasting career in darts.

Recent Achievements

In 2019, Paul Lim represented Hong Kong in the WDF World Cup. More recently, in 2024, he had an amazing run at the 2024 WDF World Darts Championship. He reached the final of a World Championship for the first time in his career, though he ultimately finished as the runner-up to Shane McGuirk. This was a fantastic achievement for such an experienced player.

World Championship Results

Paul Lim has competed in many World Championships across different darts organizations. Here are some of his results:

BDO World Championship Results

• 1982: First round
• 1983: Second round
• 1984: First round
• 1985: First round
• 1986: Second round
• 1987: Second round
• 1988: Second round
• 1989: Second round
• 1990: Quarter-finals (his best result, where he hit the nine-dart finish)
• 1991: First round
• 1992: Second round
• 1994: Second round

PDC World Championship Results

• 1997: Group-stage
• 1998: Group-stage
• 1999: First round
• 2000: First round
• 2001: Second round
• 2002: First round
• 2013: First round
• 2014: Preliminary round
• 2016: Preliminary round
• 2018: Second round
• 2019: First round
• 2020: First round
• 2021: Second round
• 2022: First round

WSDT World Championship Results

• 2022: First round

WDF World Championship Results

• 2024: Runner-up (reached the final)

Major Finals and Wins

Paul Lim has won several major titles throughout his career, especially in the WDF Asia-Pacific Cup. He won the Men's singles title three times in 1980, 1984, and 1986. He was also a runner-up in the Asia-Pacific Cup Singles in 1990 and, more recently, at the 2024 WDF World Darts Championship.