Do you remember Bebo? Jazus, it seems like a lifetime ago. Sharing the love, your Top Friends and, of greatest interest to the next lines here, the Flashbox. The Facebook/Instagram Reels of its day.
Following the Thursday afternoon session of the 2025/’26 World Darts Championship, one was reminded of the best Flashbox video I ever came acrooss – still available on YouTube – named Weibi’s Stuff, Kenya – which was basically an animated marketing video in tribute to the best of what that great nation has to offer.
If they were to add sporting clips to the same ensemble, you can be sure long distance runners would be front and centre therein. Though it’s highly unlikely they ever thought a darts star would require similar commendation.
Step forward David Menyua. The 40-year-old had to put out a request on social media for sponsorship in order to ensure he was able to take his place among the 128 starters at the Alexandra Palace.
He’s unlikely to ever encounter such difficulties again after not only one of the biggest upsets but one of the greatest performances the big London stage has ever seen. The opening exchanges were even enough with the enigmatic Mike De Deeker, but, then the aforementioned appeared to take a vice-like grip on matters.
Basically, the tempestuous Belgian thrower is, by that stage, 2-0 up and two up in the third set he would require to close out the deal. But then Munyua produced a comeback to rival any this writer has ever come across in any sport.
Up there with Meath against Dublin in 1991, Offaly’s overtaking of Limerick in the 1994 All Ireland SHC Final or Padraig Beggy coming from the clouds to win the Epsom Derby aboard Wings Of Eagles.
Even if the man whose wittily apt nickname is Why Not? was never to throw another dart, what he will have done for the sport in his country and/or continent may be incalculable.
A similar summation be assigned following the victory of Japan’s Matumo Sakai over Thiabut Tricole of France. On the other hand, Ryan Joyce and Callan Rydz recorded expected results. As for Thursday’s evening session, things went very much along what would have been along expected lines. Albeit that both Jermaine Wattimena and Michael Van Gerwen had far more difficulty in advancing than would have been anticipated.
The latter will now face Limerick and Ireland’s Willie O’Connor (more about The Magpie anon) and, if one was to go on the form of both players’ first round outings, there’s a legitimate case to be made for the man from Munster to start favourite. Just as easily, though, I’d have no doubt that the Cappamore native will be very aware of the potential foibles of encountering a wounded lion.
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