Professional Female Darts Player Refuses to Compete Against Transgender Opponent

Deta Hedman of Great Britain in action during her first-round match on day four of the BDO Lakeside World Professional Darts Championships in Frimley, England, on Jan. 10, 2017. (Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

A British female darts player forfeited from the 2024 Denmark Open after refusing to compete against a transgender opponent.

Deta Hedman removed herself from the competition held from May 3–5, when she was set to face off against Noa-Lynn van Leuven in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

The 64-year-old took to social media to clarify her decision, following speculation that she opted not to play due to illness as well as declining compensation she may have lost from the event.

“No fake illness I said I wouldn’t play a man in a ladies event,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

She went on to offer her disdain for transgender players competing in the sport, amid her previous calls to exclude the athletes completely.

“This subject causing much angst in the sport I love. People can be whoever they want in life but I don’t think biological born men should compete in Women’s sport,” she wrote in a post addressed to the account for  “Save Women’s Sports.”

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The international coalition centers its activism around calling for “fairness in women’s sport” that says “biological sex matters.”

Despite her personal opinions on the matter, Ms. Hedman noted she would have no issue competing against a transgender opponent if the event is not world-ranked.

“Selected for the 6 nations to be held in Ireland , this is not a world ranking tournament and therefore if a trans is selected and we have to play them in team event I will play , this event is not ranked and no prize fund apart from honour of representing your country,” she said.

Further, she pointed to the rules of the World Darts Federation (WDF) and the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).

“In the WDF we have a men’s World C and a women’s World champs, we also have a boys and a separate girls World champs, so we cater for all. In PDC it’s an open comp where all can enter. I played in it a few years ago and you know it’s open, so no problem playing men in open,” she said.

The PDC follows the Darts Regulation Authority’s policy, which is governed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Their policy requires transgender female competitors to have a testosterone level below 10 nanomoles per liter for at least a year.

For at least four years, the gender identity must remain the same, as the transgender female may not have a “presumption of advantage.”

They note darts remains an inclusive sport and “is open to all who wish to be involved in any capacity.”

Mr. Van Leuven started identifying as a transgender woman in 2014 and joined the Dutch women’s professional darts team. After signing on, two other teammates, Aileen de Graaf and Anca Zijlstra, resigned in protest of the move.

At the time, Ms. Zijlstra issued a Facebook statement saying the decision did not come lightly, but at the moment she was ashamed to play for the Dutch team.

“Because a biological man plays for the women’s team, it is time to go. I have tried to accept this but I cannot condone this. I believe that in sports there should be an equal and fair playing field, which should be used and accepted in good faith. After all, we have worked so hard to be relevant and competitive in this sport.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Van Leuven went on to make it to the semifinals of the Denmark Open before losing to Beau Graves in the competition.