Darts star Deta Hedman has withdrawn from the Denmark Open after refusing to face transgender competitor Noa-Lynn van Leuven.
The 64-year-old has been an outspoken critic of rules allowing transgender women to compete in women’s tournaments.
Hedman, is one of the best-known figures in the women’s darts scene, and has in the past called on the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and the World Darts Federation (WDF) to exclude transgender athletes from women’s tournaments. .
At the WDF tournament in Denmark, Hedman was due to face Van Leuven in the quarterfinals, but decided to boycott the match.
According to the German media BILDHedman said: “I will not play against a man in a women’s event.”
Deta Hedman withdraws from Denmark Open after refusing to face transgender opponent
He was due to face Noa-Lynn van Leuven, but chose to boycott the match.
Hedman had previously called for transgender competitors to be banned from participating in ranked events.
Former American college swimmer Riley Gaines offered to reimburse Hedman for the prize money he lost by losing his match.
However, Hedman responded: ‘@Riley_Gaines_ thank you for your kind offer, but Denmark Darts paid me in full for the event.’
She then tagged an account called SaveWomensSports and wrote: “This topic causes a lot of angst in the sport I love.” People can be whoever they want in life, but I don’t think biologically born men should compete in women’s sport.’
In a separate tweet, she rejected suggestions that she withdrew from the match because she was feeling ill.
Van Leuven has been a woman since 2014 and won two tournaments in March. the PDC Women’s Series in Wigan and a PDC Tour event in Hildesheim, Germany, a week earlier.
Facing Ireland’s Katie Sheldon in the final, Van Leuven triumphed 5-2 and took home £2,000 in prize money.
Two of Van Leuven’s Dutch compatriots quit their national team in protest after their second competitive win in March.
Anca Zijlstra revealed she was retiring “with a heavy heart”, before world number two Aileen de Graaf quit hours later and vowed to no longer represent the Netherlands.
Former American college swimmer Riley Gaines (center left) offered to pay Hedman all the money she was not paid for withdrawing from the Denmark Open.
Hedman insisted that he was paid in full, but that the issue caused him “a lot of anguish.”
18-time Grand Slam tennis champion Martina Navratilova (pictured) said: “Please, there are no male bodies in women’s sports, not even darts” after Van Leuven won a competition in Wigan.
In a post on social media platform X, Martina added: ‘Once again, women are bearing the brunt. And it stinks
Outraged by the victory, 18-time Grand Slam tennis champion Martina Navratilova said: “Please, no male bodies in women’s sports, not even darts.”
In a post on social media platform X, Martina added: ‘Once again, women are bearing the brunt. And it sucks.
Hedman took part in the PDC Women’s Series in Wigan and hinted that the storm surrounding the inclusion of transgender players could lead her to quit the sport.
She tweeted: ‘Not the best weekend at @Official PDC. I missed 2 darts in event 8 to reach the semi-finals. I always said I would stop playing when I stopped enjoying playing, I think the current problems with the women’s game mean the time is getting closer.
Meanwhile, in December, Hedman called for transgender players, including Van Leuven and Victoria Monaghan, to be excluded from ranked women’s tournaments in a lengthy statement on Facebook.
She said: ‘For many months I have struggled with transgenders playing in women’s world ranked events.
She then went on to highlight how far women’s darts has come, after Hedman and others “fought to get better recognition for women’s darts” in the late 1980s.
Hedman said she “packed her bags” in 1997 because she felt there was “little future for the ladies” before returning when a women’s championship was formed.
She then adds: ‘Then came the acceptance of the WDF, PDC, county darts and independent events allowing trans women to participate in women’s sports.
Hedman, in a statement in December, said he had raised his concerns with the WDF.
Last month she hinted she might leave the sport due to the “current issues with women’s football”.
“I’ve thought this is wrong since day one, I have no problem with transgender people in life, I’m not close to Noa-Lynn at darts, but to be fair she seems like a lovely person.”
“At Lakeside I met Victoria Monaghan and she has the right character, we joke and laugh quite a bit, but my personal opinion is that trans people should not play in women’s ranked events.”
Hedman said he raised his concerns with the WDF, but that the governing body was “concerned about legal challenges” and that they “needed scientific proof that a trans player has an advantage over biological women.”
He also claimed to have contacted Dr. Linda Duffy, former world number one in women’s darts, and mentioned her articles that “show exactly why trans players have advantages over biological women, especially when they have gone through puberty as men.” .
Hedman added: “In my opinion, those (mainly men) who say there are no reasons why women can’t play as well as men are speaking from the bottom.”