04/09/26 03:19:00
Printable Page
04/09 15:17 CDT Transgender darts pro says she 'just got retired' by governing
body's policy change
Transgender darts pro says she 'just got retired' by governing body's policy
change
LONDON (AP) --- A transgender darts player said she's "not done fighting" after
the sport's governing body enacted rules barring transgender women from women's
tournaments.
Noa-Lynn van Leuven of the Netherlands spoke out Thursday when the Darts
Regulation Authority's new policy took effect.
"Apparently, I just got retired --- not by choice, but because I'm no longer
allowed to compete," Van Leuven said in a video on her Instagram account.
The 29-year-old van Leuven had competed in the Women's Series of the
Professional Darts Corporation. In 2024, she became the first transgender woman
to play at the PDC World Darts Championship.
"I've worked so damn hard for years just to get here. I showed up, I competed.
I respected the sport every game, every single day," van Leuven said. "And now,
with just one decision, I'm being told I don't belong anymore. This isn't just
about me. This is another huge hit for the trans community."
She will still be eligible for open PDC events.
It's not clear what van Leuven's legal options are, but in a written message
with the video she added: "This isn't the end. I'm just going back to the
drawing board. I'm not done fighting."
The DRA said in a statement Thursday that it began a review of its policies in
2025. It included commissioning a report from "an academic developmental
biologist who has published several papers on sex and categories in sport. The
DRA has also considered extensive legal advice."
"As a result of its review, the DRA is satisfied that to achieve fair
competition in darts, only biological females should be eligible to compete in
women's tournaments regulated by DRA Rules," it said.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
|
