- Trans Athlete Controversy: Darts Legend Refuses to Play Against Trans Woman
Noa-Lynn van Leuven and Deta Hedman (photo montage) Imago/Action Plus/Pro Sports Images
Fresh controversy surrounds successful darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven. According to information from Sport1 among others, the darts player is once again the focus of controversy. She was set to compete in the quarterfinals against Deta Hedman at the WDF Denmark Open over the weekend. Hedman, who won the Winmau World Masters in 1994, is known as “The Heart of Darts.”
Darts legend known for stance on trans women
Hedman refused to play against van Leuven and withdrew from the tournament. The 64-year-old Jamaican is an outspoken opponent of transgender women participating in women’s competitions. On her Twitter-Account, she regularly shares her views. There, she confirmed the reason for the cancellation and wrote: “People can be whoever they want in life, but I don’t think biologically born men should compete in women’s sports.”
In the past, she has called on the darts associations PDC and WDF to deny van Leuven access to women’s tournaments. In a statement on X, Hedman made it clear: “I’ve always said that I will quit when the fun in this sport is gone. With the current issues in women’s darts, this moment is getting closer.”
Trans player divides sports community
Her stance is making international waves. Following Hedman’s refusal to compete against van Leuven, there was both applause and transphobic remarks from her fans. Many insult the player.
Van Leuven, who has undergone gender reassignment including hormone therapy, has been under close scrutiny since her victory at the PDC women’s tournament in Hildesheim, Germany in March. Her Dutch teammates Aileen de Graaf and Anca Zijlstra withdrew
Advantage of trans woman in darts not proven
However, not everyone shares Hedman’s view. For example, former darts world number one Linda Duffy, who is currently researching this topic, sees no clear advantage for trans women. As she explained in an interview with Talk TV, it’s hard to judge whether trans women like van Leuven actually have unfair advantages without knowing their testosterone levels.
Van Leuven also commented, making it clear how much she is suffering from the turmoil: “I think the only thing I regret about this topic is that many people forget that I am also a human being.”
Studies by the German Bundestag show that trans women have improved athletic performance compared to non-transgender women after one year of hormone therapy. Testosterone blockers indeed make the performance of trans and non-trans women more similar, but the muscles that were previously there only recede slightly.