World Darts Federation threatens discipline after female refuses to compete against male opponent
World Darts Federation is threatening disciplinary action against players who withdraw from matches after a British female dart player forfeited instead of competing against a man identifying as a woman.
After Deta Hedman forfeited a competition after learning she would face a trans-identified opponent, the WDF issued a statement last Friday ahead of the World Championships this year to clarify its position on player withdrawals.
"Once the first dart has been thrown in a tournament, any player that subsequently withdraws from playing a match may be considered to be bringing the game into disrepute and could face disciplinary action," WDF stated.
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"This stance has been taken to suitably protect our Member Countries, their tournaments and tournament sponsors, as well as to preserve the integrity of the WDF ranking system."
Hedman, 64, told Telegraph Sport this week that she felt WDF's statement was directed at her. The three-time WDF World Championship finalist withdrew from a quarter-final match against Noa-Lynn van Leuven in May.
Van Leuven, a man who identifies as a woman, won two tournaments in March: The PDC Women's Series in Wigan and a PDC Tour event in Hildesheim, Germany. The male athlete began playing in the women's circuit after he started transitioning to identifying as female in 2022.
"It's been affecting me for a very, very long time. And when it did happen, I just broke down. I was a mess, an absolute mess," Hedman said about women having to compete against male dart players. It's all about the mental health of transgender women."
"They have not once come to us ladies and asked how we are feeling about it," she said. "We're having to stand up to say, 'This is how we feel.'"
The British dart player has launched a petition against WDF's policy of allowing men to compete against women, according to The Telegraph.
The WDF did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.
Lynne Pinches, a veteran pool player who has also advocated for fairness in women's sports, expressed support for Hedman in a Thursday X Post. Pinches also forfeited the chance to win a national title last year after she refused to play her trans-identified opponent, Harriet Haynes.
"I take my hat off to Deta, but we shouldn't have to run separate tournaments to ensure fairness. It should be a given," Pinches wrote. "Men are killing women's sports across the board."
During a May interview with GB News' Nana Akua, Hedman denied that she withdrew from the competition to protect her ranking points. The female dart player stated that she is not the only one concerned about women having to compete against men, citing the biological differences between the sexes.
The athlete disagreed with the idea that men should be allowed to play as women because darts are not thought to be as physically intensive as other sports. Hedman believes that this argument dismisses women's biology, noting that female athletes have to compete while suffering from period cramps or menopause. She noted that a man identifying as a woman does not go through these same biological experiences.
"I am fighting for the girls out there that won't have the opportunity," she said. "If we leave it and bury our heads in the sand, there won't be anything for young women and young girls to aspire to.
"That's one of the things that I feel strongly about because I've felt for young girls in the world championship," Hedman continued. "It has been two years now. If we continue allowing this to happen, who's to say that young boys won't decide to start playing with young girls."
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
