British female darts player Deta Hedman was supposed to face off against transgender opponent Noa-Lynn van Leuven in the Denmark Open this weekend, but she decided to pull out of the tournament and forfeit the competition rather than compete against a transgender athlete.
Deta Hedman and Noa-Lynn van Leuven were set to face off in the quarterfinals of the tournament over the weekend, but Hedman decided that she did not want to compete against a transgender woman and removed herself from the competition as a result.
On social media, 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.
“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.
Obviously, this decision from Hedman caused a lot of reactions on social media.
It's so funny that women need separate leagues for stuff that takes no physical strength whatsoever like darts and chess, just admit we mog you in every arena or we will put on dresses and humiliate you https://t.co/IUTFZGOauB
— HowlingMutant (@Howlingmutant0) May 8, 2024
Deta has played a man in the world championship before. She's just posturing because she hates trans people. This is how it always ishttps://t.co/m3IJmf9wtK https://t.co/u72C1KfLpU
— Reia 🌟 (@weather_forkast) May 8, 2024
I don’t understand this one, does gender really make that much of a difference in darts https://t.co/fKh7jHAI5m
— Never break kayfabe (@Tripolar_B) May 9, 2024
Serious question, why is darts split by gender to begin with https://t.co/RQzJ56NNNK
— peepeepoopoo (@DeepDishEnjoyer) May 8, 2024
not to play devils advocate but why do women even need separate darts leagues lmao https://t.co/nGFstHEGSv
— allie (@breakc0regf) May 8, 2024
Okay, why is darts a gendered sport anyway? https://t.co/fPQYXeK7dV
— Sensurround (@ShamashAran) May 8, 2024
It’s worth noting that Hedman has competed against men in the past.
