At merely THIRTEEN years old, LEX PAESHUYSE is gearing up to contest for a world championship at Ally Pally later this month.

The young Belgian prodigy will face off against English competitor Daniel Stephenson, who is three years older, in the Junior Darts Corporation final on December 21.

3

3

He has made it to this highly anticipated London match after defeating rivals even as old as 18 during a tournament in Gibraltar.

Initially, Paeshuyse encountered challenges in the competition, with one of his matches seeing him average just 52 points.

However, his fortunes changed after 17-year-old darts prodigy Luke Littler watched him play in a match.

In a discussion with Het Nieuwsblad, Paeshuyse’s mother, Inez, commented, “The start was challenging. It didn’t unfold as he had hoped. There were also various equipment changes that made him a bit anxious.

“After the preliminary rounds, we were questioning, ‘How will we turn this around?’ Then he immediately faced Branley, who had defeated Luke Littler just days before.

“It was disheartening, especially since it was against someone they are documenting.

“With cameras all around, it was nerve-wracking, and in the next round, Littler himself was watching Lex. There was always something going on!”

In addition to the JDC final, Paeshuyse will also take part in the World Youth Championship—a tournament won by Littler in 2023.

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS

3

Inez has shared her astonishment at his swift progression.

She remarked, “Lex continues to amaze me every day. We approached this without any expectations, and now he is competing at this level… it’s surreal.

Inside Luke Littler’s family life with mum who worked for Yankee Candle and dad who made sacrifices for his darts career

“Time is flying. Just six months ago, we ventured into JDC to see where it would take us.

“And now, next month, he’ll take the grand stage at ‘Ally Pally’ as the first Belgian ever in the JDC World Championship final.

“It’s unbelievable, but we remain grounded.”