Kenyan darts sensation David Munyua has revealed he attempted to keep the now-famous Ally Pally wasp as a good luck charm following his stunning debut victory at the World Championship.
Munyua, a full-time veterinarian, overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat 18th seed Mike De Decker 3-2 on Thursday, marking one of the tournament's most significant upsets.
The dramatic turnaround came after the persistent insect landed on his face mid-match. Munyua swatted it away before trying to secure it in his pocket.
"I got it. I tried to put it in my pocket to stay with me because I love going through tough things," he explained.
"I would do my stuff with it, win or lose. But I don’t know how it escaped. I’ve seen how it’s been interfering with other players. At this place you need maximum concentration, so when you have a little disturbance, you need to get over it. So, I tried to get it come my way and stay with me."
Despite Munyua’s efforts, the flying pest was later spotted causing further disruption during the evening session, landing on Dave Chisnall’s shirt.
Munyua’s desire to 'befriend' the insect is perhaps unsurprising given his profession as a veterinarian in Nairobi. He spoke about the unique challenges of balancing his two passions.
"Being a veterinarian in my country and also a darts player, there’s so many challenges you need to face to combine the both," he added.
"I have a passion in veterinary and treating animals, I also have a passion in growing sports in our area. During the day I’m dealing with my animals, but at the night I’m playing darts. I’m on call a lot of the time, so I can be throwing darts and then get a call."
The Ally Pally wasp has emerged as an unexpected star of the tournament, consistently vexing players.
It was struck by Nitin Kumar during his victory over Richard Veenstra, and Martin Lukeman reportedly suffered a sting in his match against Max Hopp.
Its remarkable resilience was highlighted when Jurjen van der Velde arrived on stage with a can of insect spray before his match with Danny Noppert, theatrically dousing the air around him.
Yet, much like Munyua, the tenacious insect lived to fight another day, continuing its disruptive presence at the championship.
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