An Irish ladies dart champion was beaten in the Women’s Series final by a transgender competitor last weekend, and this caused an uproar online. Katie Sheldon, a Dublin native, was bested in the final as Noa-Lynn van Leuven, from the Netherlands, who triumphed 5-2 to claim the prize money in Wigan on Saturday.
Like other sports, darts has become the latest to become embroiled in the ongoing debate around having transgender competitors compete in women's events. Many have had their say on the matter when it comes to the likes of swimming, track and field, pool, and other events, and this has been no different with high-profile former athletes commenting on the issue.
Martina Navratilova, the nine-time Wimbledon champion, said, "Again, women get the short end of the stick either way. And it stinks," she said on her X account. Others have also commented, saying, "As long as women continue to participate in the farce, this will never stop."
Some have defended van Leuven, claiming that there is no advantage in throwing darts. "I seriously hate this country. Darts has no competitive advantage for being a man over a woman but now that seems to be the issue. Van Leuven is a woman playing a woman’s sport. Get over it. Stop tearing people down," said one user on X.
According to the Professional Darts Player Association Trans & Gender Diverse Policy, they state, "Darts is an inclusive sport. The Darts Regulation Authority, as the world-governing body for darts, encourages mixed-gender events. The only exceptions are the Women’s Series and Women’s Matchplay, operated by the PDC.
VICTORY FOR VAN LEUVEN! 🇳🇱
Noa-Lynn van Leuven clinches her maiden PDC Women's Series title in Wigan! 🏆
Van Leuven overcomes some late double trouble to defeat Irish youngster Katie Sheldon in the Event Two final! pic.twitter.com/fEnlFzMQk3— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) March 23, 2024
"Darts is open to all who wish to be involved in any capacity, and we encourage all trans and non-binary participants to take part."
Van Leuven, who, not for the first time, has received negative comments online for her participation in women’s events, recently said, “I just want to do my thing, but it seems like people have to comment. They often don’t even read what is written. They immediately have the reflex."
This latest saga in the transgender debate comes weeks after Irish pool champion Kim O'Brien, affectionately known as 'Miss Cue', forfeited her place in the European Pool Championships. She refused to compete against transgender player Harriet Haynes.
A viral video brought attention to O'Brien's refusal to play against Haynes, sparking a debate on transgender athletes in women's sports. In the European Championship final, scheduled for February 29, O'Brien declined to compete, conceding victory to Haynes, who accepted O'Brien's decision.
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