VIDEO: Noa-Lynn van Leuven hopes to shake off trans stigma after Ally Pally debut: ''Being proud of me instead of that stuff all the time''
PDC
Noa-Lynn van Leuven failed to mark her debut at the World Darts Championship with a victory. Despite a good start, the Dutch darter went down 3-1 in sets against compatriot Kevin Doets.
Van Leuven started the match even more successfully by taking the first set 3-1. Then in the third leg of set two a curious leg started. Both players missed a lot of doubles and in the end it was Doets who hit a 33-darter to win the set. 'Hawkeye' then also won the set 3-1 and then turned the match around. "I miss in one leg way too many darts on a double," Van Leuven pointed out afterwards, conscious of that leg in the second set. "And of course that's not how it should be. Then I also let a few chances go by. But I think I can look back on this tournament very well."
Read also
Yet so soon after the game, there was room for a sense of pride. "I'm mega proud to be standing here. I've had a really great year, especially looking back at what I've experienced. It's a really nice venue, really nice tournament to compete in."
The duel was full of press coverage. After all, Van Leuven wrote history by being the first transgender to compete in the World Darts Championship. The player from Heemskerk hopes to be an example for her peers with her performance. "I hope that maybe I can mean a little bit to the people in my community. By still showing my visibility."
Afterward, Van Leuven did express the hope that the transgender stigma will soon disappear. A journalist present recalled that Van Leuven is the first trans woman at this tournament, but Van Leuven wanted to correct that. "The first Dutch woman," she corrected. "For Dutch women's darts, I hope this was really nice. I hope it was really nice for my community and that I can still show of I'm there, I'm standing there and I'm fighting for everybody. Everybody gets to be themselves. Let's get rid of 'trans woman Noa-Lynn' and be proud of me instead of that stuff all the time."
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Covid or the vaccine. Which one done him?Mysstree16-03-2025
- Beau also skipped Players Championships 7 & 8 next week, and PC 3 & 4 four weeks ago. If she next chooses to miss the Women's Series and PC 13 & 14 in mid-April then we can make a fair guess as to her reason.Scoobedybop13-03-2025
- I've commented before,Phil should let us all remember how great he was,and leave your darts in the drawer. Another humiliation will tarnish everything,you couldn't even beat old blokes who you would have beaten before the game started !!rick6712-03-2025
- I've commented before,Phil should let us all remember how great he was,and leave your darts in the drawer. Another humiliation will tarnish everything,you couldn't even beat old blokes who you would have beaten before the game started !!rick6712-03-2025
- Aspinall was a no-show: Carl Sneyd steps in from the Challenge Tour.Scoobedybop11-03-2025
- Likewise, I have always been a fan of Mervyn and with this worry on his mind, it explains why his form and ranking plummeted. It is really sad to hear this, often chatted to Mervyn and Tracey during the Lakeside days, both are lovely people. It does seem naive not acknowledging the fact it was earnings, surely there must be others in the same situation. I really hope the Kings can get through this....would a go fund me be permittedrichieburnettrocks11-03-2025
- I always like Merv,but he does he seems slightly naive with his comments. I wish you all the best, hope you can get sorted,and try and get back to a decent game,a bit of money.....and get rid of the dogs,if that's your main concern,I believe your priorities may be slightly wrongrick6710-03-2025
- What’s with the dogs element to this story, trying to pull at the heart strings? Just goes to show that being a good dart player does not equate to being that bright. Seriously, ‘I thought you didn’t have to pay tax on winnings’ , your a pro dart player and its your line of work, your not playing the lottery or placing a bet. I think it was Phil Taylor who said you should put a third to one side of all winnings into a bank account, obviously Merv was wearing his earplugs at the time.Mysstree10-03-2025
- The thing is... the folks who "humiliated" Taylor in the Seniors Events never really achieved anything in the important events - like Taylor did. Taylor had/has nothing to prove... and beating Taylor after he had retired is of zero value. Taylor in his prime would have made easy work of all of them. Cheers.MrYnyslas197107-03-2025
- Taylor was humiliated in the seniors events,so he really has nothing to lose by playing littler. I think he should put his darts away,and let us remember what a great player he wasrick6706-03-2025