A British female darts star has forfeit her chance to the win the Denmark Open after refusing to face a transgender player, calling for the sport to ban those athletes born as biological men.
Deta Hedman, 64, who has been a vocal critic of rules allowing transgender women to compete in women’s tournaments, pulled out of the quarter-final match against Noa-Lynn van Leuven.
Hedman, is one of the most well known figures in the women’s darts scene, and in the past has called on the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and the World Darts Federation (WDF) to exclude transgender athletes from women’s tournaments.
‘I’m not playing against a man in a women’s event,’ bluntly told German newspaper Bild.
Supporters of Hedman were quick to offer the darts star compensation for her decision to boycott the tournament, offering to make up any prize money she may have lost.
Yet Denmark Darts paid her out in full for the event. It was reported that Hedman had initially told organisers she was ill but hitting back at the claim, she wrote on X: ‘No fake illness, I said I wouldn’t play a man in a ladies event.’
The sportswoman went onto write to Save Women’s Sport – an international campaign calling for ‘fairness in women’s sport’ that says ‘biological sex matters’.
Hedman said to the group: ‘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’s decision to step back from her chance to fight for a place in the women’s final has received a mix reaction.
American former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines has been won of her loudest supporters and offered to refund Hedman any prize money she missed out on by forfeiting her match.
Yet while Hedman was quick to thank Gaines for her ‘kind offer’ she reassured her fellow athlete ‘Denmark Darts paid me out in full for the event’.
Verteran pool player Lynne Pinches, who similarly forfeited her winning spot at the Ladies Champions of Champions after she refused to play her transgender opponent, praised Hedman’s decision.
‘Full respect for her standing for fairness,’ Pinches wrote on X. ‘It’s not an easy decision to make and we shouldn’t have to. Stop the madness please.’