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At the young age of THIRTEEN, LEX PAESHUYSE is poised to fight for a world title at Ally Pally later this month.
The Belgian prodigy will face English competitor Daniel Stephenson, who is three years older, in the Junior Darts Corporation final on December 21.
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He has made it to this highly anticipated London encounter after overcoming rivals aged up to 18 during a tournament in Gibraltar.
Initially, Paeshuyse struggled in the competition, including one match where he averaged only 52 points.
However, his fortunes changed after 17-year-old darts sensation Luke Littler watched him in one of his matches.
In a conversation with Het Nieuwsblad, Paeshuyse’s mother, Inez, shared, “The start was difficult. It wasn’t going according to his expectations. There were also several changes to his equipment that made him somewhat uneasy.
“After the first rounds, we were still wondering, ‘How can we turn this around?’ Then he instantly faced Branley, who had just defeated Luke Littler in the tournament days earlier.
“It was disheartening again, especially since it was against a player they are filming a documentary about.
“With all the cameras on him, it was nerve-wracking, and in the next match, Littler himself was present watching Lex. There was always so much happening!”
Along with the JDC final, Paeshuyse is also set to compete in the World Youth Championship—a tournament that Littler previously won in 2023.
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Inez has expressed their astonishment at his swift progression.
She remarked, “Lex continues to surprise me every day. We entered this journey without expectations, and now he is competing at this level… it’s unbelievable.
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“Time is passing so quickly. Just six months ago, we began joining JDC to see how far it could take him.
“Now, next month, he’ll be on the grand stage at ‘Ally Pally’ as the first Belgian ever to reach the JDC World Championship final.
“It’s amazing, but we remain grounded.”
