Darts star Deta Hedman refuses to face transgender player in quarter final and forfeits match

British darts icon Deta Hedman has made the bold decision to withdraw from her Denmark Open quarter-final clash, refusing to play against transgender opponent Noa-Lynn van Leuven.

A staunch critic of policies allowing transgender women to compete in women's events, Hedman opted out of the match scheduled for Saturday. Hedman, a three-time WDF World Championship finalist and a veteran of the sport since the 1980s, boasts an impressive resume including titles at the World Masters and Dutch Open.

The competition in Esbjerg was set to see Hedman face off against Van Leuven in the quarter-finals. However, Van Leuven, who began transitioning in 2022, advanced to the semi-finals by default after Hedman's withdrawal. In a Facebook post just two days before their match, Hedman expressed her stance with the words: "Women and girls deserve to be CHAMPIONS in their own sports."

Last year, Hedman also took to social media to vent her frustration about transgender athletes participating in women's darts competitions, stating she has found it 'wrong since day one'. Her post detailed: "For many months I've struggled with transgenders playing in the Women's world ranked events. I have thought this is wrong since day one, I have no problem with transgenders in life."

The darts player expressed her views candidly, saying: "I'm not close to Noa-Lynn in darts but in fairness seems a lovely person, at Lakeside I met Victoria Monaghan and must admit she is a right character we had banter and a fair few laughs, but my personal view is trans shouldn't be playing in women's ranked events."

She continued to clarify her stance: "Noa is a really nice person, nobody is disputing that at all, it's just my belief and many other women players' belief that trans shouldn't be in women's ranked events."

Recounting an emotional incident, she added: "At the recent Killarney Festival I had the upset of a very good lady player who has played at the top end of WDF events and the PDC ladies series come to me in tears saying this issue is really getting to her and is considering walking away from darts."

Highlighting a significant achievement, the text notes: "Van Leuven, now a regular on the women's tour, became the first woman to win a Challenger Tour event back in March, clinching a £2,500 cash prize with a victory over former Premier League Darts competitor John Henderson in the quarter-finals."

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