'The pride of Asian darts' – Lok Yin Lee & Man Lok Leung on flying the flag for a continent after breakthrough World Cup of Darts

From side jobs to full-time pros

What makes their rise even more remarkable is that Lee, 24, nicknamed “Dragon Boy”, and Leung, 26, are the only players from Hong Kong making a living solely from prize money and sponsorship. And even now, “making a living” is a stretch. “It must be tough to open your bank account and see the balance when you keep missing out on titles but still have to spend money to compete,” Leung admitted.

Both men know the grind. Lee broke through with a runner-up finish on the PDC Development Tour in 2020. Leung made his debut at the PDC World Youth Championship back in 2017, but only committed to the sport full-time after a top-eight finish in 2022. Until then, the sky-high cost of living in Hong Kong forced them to take part-time jobs just to keep their careers afloat.

Even with sponsors on board, they still pay for their own flights, hotels, and entry fees when playing abroad – an unavoidable reality for many Asian players chasing points and prize money.

Family ties and the darts bug

Both fell in love with the game through family connections. Lee first threw a dart when a customer at his parents’ restaurant invited him out for a game – a customer he later discovered was none other than Paul Lim, the Singaporean legend who hit the first nine-darter in World Championship history.

Leung’s introduction came at 14, when his mother, who had picked up the sport in a bar, handed him his first set of darts. What started as a casual hobby quickly turned into an obsession. “You’re competing to make the fewest mistakes,” Leung said. “And it’s very difficult to keep your mistakes to a minimum.”

Lee knows how much focus is needed. He recalls one marathon contest lasting 19 hours, during which he racked up more than 38,000 steps.

Chasing points, chasing opportunities

For players in Asia, travel is non-negotiable. The pair spend much of their season overseas to keep their ranking intact and chase the bigger cheques. In Japan, a single tournament win can be worth as much as ten victories in Hong Kong.

Back home, the competitive calendar is patchier – and sometimes just getting a spot in an event can be a battle. “Enrolling in a local competition is sometimes as difficult as getting a concert ticket,” Lee said.

November will bring a welcome change, with an open tournament planned at a brand-new venue in Hong Kong. Lee is already looking forward to it, but Leung is keeping his feet on the ground. “I can’t tell you how long I’ll go down this path,” he said. “I’ll just keep going until I can’t.”

Whether they go on to lift major trophies or not, Lee and Leung have already achieved something rare – making Hong Kong darts relevant again on the world stage. And for fans in Asia and beyond, their blend of competitive grit, cultural pride, and showmanship is exactly the kind of spark the sport thrives on.