- Deta Hedman withdrew from last week’s Denmark Open in the quarterfinals
- A 64-year-old man refused to play against transgender woman Noa-Lynn van Leuven
- The former world number one revealed that she ‘dissolved into pieces’ when she found out about the draw
British darts star Deta Hedman has explained his decision to withdraw from a tournament after facing a transgender woman.
Earlier this month, Hedman defeated Kelly Streef and Natalie Gilbert to reach the quarter-finals of the Denmark Open, but opted to forfeit her spot after discovering she would face trans woman Noa-Lynn van Leuven.
In an interview about her decision to retire from competition, the 64-year-old said the prospect of facing Van Leuven had caused her both physical and mental anguish.
“Like I said, for the last few years I’ve struggled with this situation of playing a transgender,” Hedman said on GB News. “On more than one occasion I have wanted to retire and people have told me not to.”
But in the end it got to me and started to affect me physically and mentally.
Deta Hedman has spoken out about her decision to pull out of a darts tournament after confronting a transgender woman.
The former world number one reached the quarter-finals of the Denmark Open earlier this month.
“But all the women involved in the women’s game have complained that they didn’t enjoy the experience.” [of playing against a trans player].
‘They’ve been asking me to take it to the board to see if they can change it. We just researched so many things. I’ve read so many things and to be fair, it made my head hurt.
‘In the last ladies series, I sat there and a lot of girls were coming up to me saying this, that and whatever. And I just sat there and just threw my head back and put my headphones on and was absolutely crying.
When asked what advantages a trans player would have in darts, Hedman replied: “There are some who say there are no advantages or no disadvantages, if you will.”
‘But what everyone seems to have forgotten is the biological woman, those things we have to go through every month. Well?
“I sat there and saw girls, women doubling in pain at all the tournaments I attend now, a trans [woman] “I won’t accept it,” he continued.
‘I’m going through menopause. They won’t have trans women, but they tend to ignore what a natural woman goes through.
Hedman claimed the prospect of facing Noa-Lynn van Leuven left her in tears
“But like I said in Denmark, it affected me and I couldn’t cope with it because I broke down.”
Hedman added that he spoke to the WDF tour director immediately upon learning of the quarter-final draw and immediately informed them that it would not be continuing.
“It was just me and the tournament director, and I explained to him that I got my notification, as you can see, and I just said, ‘I can’t do it. I can’t face it.’ I said, ‘I’m breaking down right now.’ And I just dissolved into pieces.’
With Hedman out of the competition, Van Leuven advanced to the semi-finals of the competition, where she was defeated 4–0 by eventual winner Beau Greaves.
