Trans darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven hits back at ‘toxic’ rivals

Trans darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven has hit back at her “toxic” rivals after qualifying for the World Championships. 

Leuven, who transitioned in 2021 and has faced controversy for playing against cis women, qualified for her first Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Championship on Saturday (19 October) – making her the first trans woman to do so – following a 5-3 victory over English star Beau Greaves in the 21st PDC Women’s Series in Leicester.

However, some of her rivals, including British star Deta Hedman, have not taken the news well and have called for trans competitors to be banned from playing in ranked women’s tournaments. 

‘This is discrimination”

In response, Leuven told Dutch outlet NU that her competitors see her as a “threat”, despite the fact she has “proven I can win over men, too”. 

Speaking of the World Darts Federation World Cup, where she has previously won gold, Van Leuven touched on a members’ meeting where it was reportedly decided that that trans women will no longer be able to participate in the event. 

“I thought the world should know, this is discrimination. We have been thrown back 40 years with the sport of darts,” she said. “[Other players] secretly tell me that they don’t understand the commotion but there are a lot of conservative, toxic bi***es on the women’s tour. 

PDC World Championship was ‘the ultimate middle finger’

“People send the most terrible messages, then go on preparing their pasta. They have no idea the impact it has on my life. I didn’t dare go out on the street for several weeks and had panic attacks. It did take a while for that fear to go away.”

Despite the hate, “standing there [at the World Championships] as the first Dutch woman, is already the ultimate middle finger for me”, van Leuven added.

She previously told PinkNews that online abuse levelled at her following an opponent’s decision to forfeit a match left her not wanting to leave her home.

Offering advice to fellow trans athletes, she said: “As long as you are happy as yourself, that’s the most important thing. People can say: ‘Oh, we accept you anyway you are’, but whenever you get successful they won’t. Just be you.”

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