My Favorite Professional Darter - Paul Lim

Paul Lim is, without a doubt, my favorite professional darter. He is gracious, friendly, approachable and always has time for the new darter who is just starting up. I have met Paul Lim at several tournaments and he always has a kind word. Paul Lim throws perfect darts with the correct stance and the smoothest stroke I have ever seen. Effortlessly, his darts seem to target his numbers. He, too, is a Passionate Darter.

Paul was born in Singapore and plays all over the world, but his hometown now is in California (US).

He is sponsored by "Unicorn, Medalist Marketing Corporation". and of course, his favorite darts are the Unicorn, 23 gms.

He has graced the cover of Bullseye News many times...His achievements are too many to mention, but the highlights are as follows:

1. 3 times Pacific Cubs single champion
2. 5 times Asia singles
3. North American cricket singles 98
4. Shot a perfect 9 dart 501 game in the Embassy World Championship in 1990.

A few years back Paul Lim performed a dart exhibition on a Thursday night before the Friday start of a Chicago area tournament. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to attend the exhibition but I was really looking forward to the weekend tournament. Friday I showed up at the tournament (in Mundelein, Illinois) and took my place at one of the boards with the hundreds of others of darters who were warming up for the Friday night blind draw event. And who should line up behind me to practice on my board but Paul Lim himself, in the flesh! We started chatting and I challenged him to a game. I lost the game of course but I was flying high. Here I was, an average darter from Chicago, playing a warm-up game with none other then professional darter Paul Lim! It doesn't get much better then that, I thought, but little was I to know what the future would behold.

After meeting Paul Lim that weekend, I would later chat with him when I saw him at other tournaments that he competed in, in the Chicago midwest area. In conversation I learned that the steel-tip bar that he played out of in San Bernadino, California was the Marquis Lounge. The wheels are always turning and that's when I had a great idea! I would write Paul Lim a letter in California addressed to him at the Marquis Lounge. So that's what I did. I wrote the letter and explained that he was my dart hero and it would be my dream to shoot mixed doubles with him sometime at a tournament. I wrote the letter, left my work number and address, mailed the letter off and never gave it a second thought. I had nothing to lose and never expected anything to come of it. But what, just what if he did answer my letter?

Then one day I got the shock of my life when the receptionist where I worked found me and excitedly told me "He's on the line, that professional darter is calling for you! He's called, he's called and he's waiting to talk with you!".

I have no idea what I said to him during that conversation though I must have stammered a lot. He graciously agreed to be my partner in a mixed-doubles event at an upcoming tournament. A real tournament with a professional darter as a partner! It just doesn't get any better then that! We each pulled out our Bullseye News magazine and picked the Blueberry Hill tournament in St. Louis, Missouri. All I can say is I thought this was just incredible and I was as excited as excited can be! Me and Paul Lim shooting together!

As the tournament date became closer I became even more excited to say the least! I looked forward to the tournament, which was months away and just couldn't wait. The tournament was on a Friday-Saturday-Sunday with the mixed doubles event scheduled for Sunday. Good, I had that whole tournament weekend to prepare and be ready for our big mixed-doubles event.

Paul Lim was very gracious. As the mixed-doubles event was the last event of the tournament he spent the weekend letting me warm-up playing 50-Out with the pros. Joe Edwards (the owner of Blueberry Hill) shook my hand and told me I must be an up-and-comer if I was shooting with Paul Lim. Others thought I was a professional as well to have Paul Lim as a partner.


The weekend was those that dreams are made of - playing darts in a tournament with a professional darter. By the time our event was called on Sunday I was nervous with butterflies in my stomach and sweaty palms. When the match was to begin, I took a deep breath and was determined to do my best. What added to my nervousness was the crowds of darters who followed Paul Lim around to watch him play.

The matches were steel-tip straight '501, easy-in, double-out. Paul diddled (and won the diddle of course). And the game began. Paul started out by nailing a 140. The other team threw a 26. Next it was my turn. I took a deep breath and told myself now was the time. I tried to tune the crowds out and concentrate on my darts. I certainly didn't want to make a fool out of myself in front of all those people, and I didn't want to let Paul down (or have him carry me). I needn't have worried as I, too, threw a 140. At this point our score was 221 and the other team had a 475. From there I relaxed and together we just played darts. We won the match!

Several matches later we played on the stage for first place, 3 out of 5 and won that as well. We won 1st place and I have to say I threw the best darts of my life!

And in the blind draw following the tournament, I hit my first 180 in competition (steel-tip, that is)...the tournament just couldn't have been any better. It was a great opportunity to shoot with my favorite professional darter and it was everything I hoped it would be. May there be many more moments like this in my future!


Here I am chatting with Paul Lim at a tournament, in Indianapolis



Visiting Paul Lim in San Bernadino, California...



Paul Lim is just awesome, and my favorite professional darter!

A few years later I ended up on a business trip in San Bernadino! I had to literally drag my co-workers to the bar that Paul plays out of in hopes of running into him. Sure enough Paul was there and gave me a warm greeting and introduced himself to my co-workers. Again, he was gracious to a fault. He challenged me to a couple of games and made a point of telling my co-workers that I was a good shooter (thank you Paul...). He even bought us a round of drinks and chatted with us. My co-workers weren't darters but they were quite impressed with Paul, his graciousness and of course, his excellent dart abilities.

Many years and tournaments have passed and Paul Lim is still one of my favorite professional darters. I've met several professionals over the years (usually in the first round and usually I'm knocked out right away), or maybe I've been lucky enough to chalk a match or two for a pro. Some are polite, and gracious and are, like Paul Lim, a class act. Others don't bother to make eye contact or ask your name and seem to have the attitude of let's get this over so we can get on to other matches with some real competition.

While darts is the sport that begins and ends with a handshake, it's sad to see a professional not bother to shake their opponent's hands only because they are beginners. Some professional darters just don't care to mingle with the average Sherilyn-darter...and that's a sad thing for the wonderful sport of darts.

It's professionals like Paul Lim who keep darters interested in the sport and continuing to compete. Paul is the epitome of the "Passionate Darter" in every sense of the word. From his good sportsmanship, his commitment and talent with regard to darts, and his willingness to speak with and encourage the beginner, he is the best.