Paolo Nebrida claimed his maiden PDC Asian Championship in Hainan after a 3-0 victroy over Kam Weng Chen in the final on Monday. The fifth staging of the PDC Asian Championship saw the continent’s biggest stars lock horns for glory in China, with inaugural runner-up Nebrida claiming his first crown after victory over Chen in […]
Paolo Nebrida claimed his maiden PDC Asian Championship in Hainan after a 3-0 victroy over Kam Weng Chen in the final on Monday.
The fifth staging of the PDC Asian Championship saw the continent’s biggest stars lock horns for glory in China, with inaugural runner-up Nebrida claiming his first crown after victory over Chen in the final.
Nebrida’s victory earns him a Grand Slam of Darts debut in November, as well securing his fifth consecutive Alexandra Palace appearance for December.
The 31-year-old won two of his three group stage matches – defeating Mongolian World Cup star Altantulkhuur Myagmarsuren and Lang Lim despite losing to Eduardo Largo – to edge through to the knockouts on leg difference.
Nebrida came back from 1-0 down and won six of the last seven legs to defy an 89+ average from Yan Bin Chen in the last 32, before downing compatriot Joel Hizon by the same scoreline of 2-1 to reach the quarter-finals.
The Filipino – a four-time winner on the PDC Asian Tour – then impressively dispatched 2022 champion Christian Perez in straight sets, before also defeating Noel Malicdem 2-0 to reach the final.
There, Nebrida swept aside Chen, claiming nine of the 12 legs on offer to cruise to a 3-0 win and secure his first Asian Championship.
Although Chen fell short in the showpiece, by finishing runner-up he secured his spot at the World Darts Championship in December, making history by becoming the first player from Macau set to star at Alexandra Palace.
Similarly to Nebrida, Chen won two of his three group stage matches – including a stellar 5-1 win over Motomu Sakai – advancing to the knockout stage on leg difference.
The Macanese arrowsmith, ranked 55th on the Asian Tour rankings, then won three consecutive matches 2-0, taking the scalps of Norhisame Bin Wahab, Pin Feng Yeh and Sonny Milo Balagat to reach the semi-finals.
Pitted against Japanese star Ryusei Azemoto, Chen recovered from 1-0 down, winning six of the last eight legs to reach the final and resultantly secure his spot at Alexandra Palace.
Malicdem, who reached the last four, had emerged through the same group as Chen, and accounted for PDC Asian Tour number one Ryuta Arihara en route to the semi-finals.
Azemoto rounded out the semi-finalists, who took the scalps of Singaporean World Cup star Phuay Wei Tan, Largo and Rolly Gabiana in the knockouts, surviving ten match darts against Gabiana to reach the last four.
Nebrida and Chen will be joined by Arihara, Sakai, Perez, Haruki Muramatsu and Lok Yin Lee at Alexandra Palace, who were the top five players on the PDC Asian Tour rankings.
2026 PDC Asian Championship
Monday September 14
Hainan, China
Last 16
Noel Malicdem 2-1 Ryuta Arihara
Kam Weng Chen 2-0 Pin Feng Yeh
Christian Perez 2-1 Haruki Muramatsu
Rolly Gabiana 2-0 Ting Chi Royden Lam
Jenn Ming Tan 2-0 Jizhou Li
Paolo Nebrida 2-1 Joel Hizon
Sonny Milo Balagat 2-1 Lourence Ilagan
Ryusei Azemoto 2-0 Eduardo Largo
Quarter-Finals
Noel Malicdem 2-0 Jenn Ming Tan
Kam Weng Chan 2-0 Sonny Milo Balagat
Paolo Nebrida 2-0 Christian Perez
Ryusei Azemoto 2-1 Rolly Gabiana
Semi-Finals
Paolo Nebrida 2-0 Noel Malicdem
Kam Weng Chen 2-1 Ryusei Azemoto
Final
Paolo Nebrida 3-0 Kam Weng Chen