Over the weekend, British female darts player Deta Hedman refused to compete against transgender darts player in the Denmark Open, instead pulling out and forfeiting the competition.
Deta Hedman was set to face off against transgender darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven in the quarterfinals of the tournament. But instead of compete against the trans woman, Hedman decided to pull out of the tournament and forfeit instead.
Hedman also pushed back against reports that she pulled out of the match due to an illness, making it clear that the reason she pulled out of the competition was because she “wouldn’t play a man in a ladies event.”
“No fake illness I said I wouldn’t play a man in a ladies event,” Hedman said in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.
@Riley_Gaines_ thank you for your kind offer , but Denmark Darts paid me out in full for event . @SaveWSports . 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
— Deta Hedman (@Deta132) May 6, 2024
“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,” Hedman said in a follow-up post.
This is not the first time that Noa-Lynn van Leuven’s participation in competitive darts has caused an issue for fellow competitors as two of her teammates quit the Dutch national team as a result of Van Leuven’s participation.
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