"The NDB stands for a fair and inclusive darts sport" - Dutch Darts Association reveals opposition to WDF members' proposed ban on transgenders in women's darts

Slovakia is currently hosting the WDF Europe Cup. Prior to that tournament, a membership meeting was held in which a vote was taken on whether or not to allow transgender darters to play in women's WDF tournaments.

Currently, trans persons are still allowed to participate in WDF tournaments. However, this has caused controversy for a while, for example Deta Hedman has refused to play against a transgender on a number of occasions and Dutch ladies Aileen de Graaf and Anca Zijlstra indicated they no longer wanted to play on the same narional team as Noa-Lynn van Leuven. The English darts association had submitted a proposal in advance to change the existing regulations. The proposed rule change means that in the women's, men's, girls' and boys' categories of WDF tournaments and matches, only persons who are born female or male ('natural born') will be allowed to compete.

Aa they've now revealed in a statement, the Dutch Darts Association (NDB) voted against this proposal. "We believe that a thorough investigation must first be carried out into whether men and trans women have an advantage over women in darts and, if so, why this is the case. The NDB has already informed the WDF at an earlier stage that research is necessary. If this research produces clear conclusions, the rules can be adjusted on the basis of this. Without such an independent investigation, we consider this change in the regulations to be discriminatory. For example, trans people would no longer be allowed to play in the category with which they identify, without there being evidence as to why this would not be possible. The NDB stands for a fair and inclusive darts sport," the statement posted to their official website reads.

However, the majority of WDF members voted in favor of the proposal. "The WDF board will investigate how they will implement these new rules. The NDB will also investigate to what extent this change in the regulations will affect the NDB regulations and how we will have to deal with this in the future."