Darts veteran Deta Hedman withdrew from a Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) Women’s Series event at the weekend after being drawn to face transgender player Noa-Lynn van Leuven in the quarter-finals.
The 65-year-old English star decided not to compete in the scheduled match, thereby forfeiting her place in the tournament.
Hedman’s withdrawal came shortly after learning of the draw, which paired her against Van Leuven, who was born male in the Netherlands and now competes in women’s events under PDC rules.
Hedman has long been outspoken about the inclusion of transgender competitors in female-only categories.
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Last year, she made a similar decision to pull out of the Denmark Open after also being drawn against Van Leuven. Speaking to Bild at the time, Hedman said: “I’m not playing against a man in a woman’s body.”
Van Leuven, 29, made history in late 2023 by becoming the first person from the Netherlands to qualify for the PDC World Darts Championship in the women's category.
The achievement was attracted controversy, with participation in women-only competitions prompting fierce debate across the sport.
Following the landmark qualification, Van Leuven endured a torrent of online abuse and even received death threats, later describing the experience as “a difficult few months.”
Darts veteran Deta Hedman withdrew from a Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) Women’s Series event at the weekend after being drawn to face transgender player Noa-Lynn van Leuven in the quarter-finals
|PA
In July, the World Darts Federation (WDF) introduced a new policy restricting participation in women’s competitions to players who were born female, effectively banning transgender women from entering.
Under the revised rules, transgender players are permitted to compete only in the Open category.
The Professional Darts Corporation, however, has not adopted the same approach.
The PDC reaffirmed that transgender competitors remain eligible to take part in women’s events, meaning Van Leuven continues to qualify for tournaments such as last weekend’s Women’s Series.
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Deta Hedman was hailed last year when she refused to play against a transgender opponent
| GETTYThe organisation’s decision has divided opinion within the sport, though several high-profile figures have voiced support for Van Leuven.
Three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen was among those to criticise the WDF’s stance, calling it “heartbreaking.”
He said: “She does what she does and can play terrific darts. Let her play nice.
“For me, there’s never been a discussion, but I don’t make the rules. The PDC has people who go over them.
“They can never make the right choice anyway. If they go left, people say they should go right and vice versa.
“Everyone has an opinion about it, but there is no point at all in continuing to argue.”
After the WDF announced its new eligibility policy, Van Leuven addressed the ruling on Instagram, writing: “This past Monday, the WDF released a new policy regarding gender eligibility.
Noa-Lynn van Leuven is a divisive figure in the world of darts
| PDC“I want to take a moment to respond.
“This decision does affect me personally though, thankfully, not too severely at this point in time. But still, it hurts. Once again, it’s a loss for the trans community in sports, and that breaks my heart.
“As a trans person in the darts world, I know how vital inclusion is not just on paper, but in practice.
“It’s disheartening to see yet another policy framed around ‘fairness’ that ultimately results in exclusion, without truly considering the people behind the labels.
“My heart goes out to all the athletes impacted by this. We remain visible. We keep going.”
The debate over gender eligibility in darts shows no sign of abating, with Hedman’s latest withdrawal renewing calls for clarity and consistency across the sport’s governing bodies.