Transgender darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven has spoken out following a ban from women's events, stating the decision has "changed everything" for the Dutch competitor.
The 29-year-old learned of the Darts Regulation Authority's rule change through an email sent just one day before the announcement went public.
"It changed everything for me, and I found out about it without any real warning, which made it even harder to process," Van Leuven told the Press Association.
The DRA implemented the new policy last month after commissioning research from developmental biologist Dr Emma Hilton. The report concluded that "multiple, small-magnitude sex differences accumulate to generate male advantage over females in darts."
Noa-Lynn van Leuven is a divisive figure in the world of darts | PDCThe governing body stated the decision followed extensive legal consultation.
"It brings up childhood memories of people not accepting me for who I am or what I am," the Dutch player said. "It happened in middle school. It happened at kindergarten. It happened. And it's just something that keeps coming back."
The past few weeks have proved difficult for the history-making competitor, who became the first trans player to qualify for both the World Championship and Grand Slam of Darts.
"It's been a rough couple of weeks. I'm not going to tell you it wasn't, but I guess every year has been like this," Van Leuven explained. "Every year something happens, and every time I crawl out of the big hole I get pushed in, I keep coming back."
Van Leuven disputes the classification of darts as a "gender-affected sport", challenging the reasoning behind the ruling.
Trans star Noa-Lynn van Leuven has won darts titles against men and women in the past | INSTAGRAM"I just don't believe darts really is a 'gender-affected sport' as they call it, especially with the points that they're coming up with," the Dutch player stated.
"It feels like the decision is influenced by gender-critical perspectives, which I strongly disagree with."
The 29-year-old pointed to the sport's most successful competitors as evidence against claims of physical advantage.
"If you're a biological male, you should have advantages in being taller, having longer arms, whatever. But take a look at who has been taking every title in this game? Phil Taylor, Littler now. Neither of them is above 180cm."
Beau Greaves' recent Pro Tour victory in Milton Keynes further supports this argument. Greaves became the first woman to claim a PDC Tour ranking title last month.
Van Leuven's competitive options have narrowed significantly following the ban. Without a main PDC Tour card, the Dutch player can now only enter second-tier Challenge Tour events or World Darts Federation competitions.
The PDC, which organises the tournaments, must adhere to DRA regulations and has offered counselling support.
Noa-Lynn van Leuven has disputed the classification of darts as a "gender-affected sport"
| PDCDespite the setback, Van Leuven remains committed to the sport.
"I just want to try to enjoy the game again," the 29-year-old said. "I just want to improve myself this year and maybe hope I get a Tour card for next year."
Van Leuven acknowledged the toll the decision has taken on future ambitions.
"I'm not done with this game, but it still hurts, and all my goals for this whole year, they're gone, and there's not a lot of time left to get new big goals."