Deta Hedman appears to refuse to play transgender player after withdrawal from UKDA event

Deta Hedman has again seemingly refused to play against a transgender person at a darts tournament. 'The Heart of Darts' decided to withdraw from a singles tournament run by the United Kingdom Darts Association (UKDA).

After Hedman won her first two matches against Patricia Roberts (4-0) and Barbara Legge (4-0), she should have faced Sam Lewis in the third round. The latter, like Noa-Lynn van Leuven, is transgender and was refused entry recently to an England Darts tournament in Ilfracombe on the basis of that. Hedman is considered outspoken on the issue of transgender sportsmen and women.

It is not the first time this season that Hedman has made such a statement. She already did the same thing twice when she faced Van Leuven. First at the WDF Denmark Open in May, and this scene repeated itself at the singles tournament of the Six Nations Cup.

Hedman also subsequently decided not to make herself available for the England team at the WDF Europe Cup. She announced at the time: "It's breaking my heart to do so. I will be posting later the reasons for this." Hedman further states that "the well being of England Darts is paramount."

Should Hedman face Van Leuven at the WDF Europe Cup, there was a very plausible chance that Hedman would withdraw again.

Earlier this month, Hedman again spoke out against the admission of transgender people to women's tournaments. "I have no issues with Trans but they should play in an open section in my opinion," Hedman wrote, accompanied by a selection of photos that she believes backs up her claim. "I questioned why it is that the rule makers in IOC, WDF and DRA are predominantly men, they totally disregard the many and varied problems unique to women, menstrual, peri menopause, fibroids, Endometriosis, with symptoms varying from stomach cramps, brain fog, bleeding, headaches/migraine, hot intense flushes etc."