TRANSGENDER darts star Noa-Lynn van Leuven has released a statement after being banned from women’s WDF competition.
It comes after an update in the World Darts Federation’s eligibility rules on transgender participation in events.
Shutterstock EditorialNoa-Lynn van Leuven has released a statement her silence after being banned from women’s competition[/caption]
Van Leuven, 28, wrote on Instagram: “This past Monday, the WDF (World Darts Federation) released a new policy regarding gender eligibility.
“I want to take a moment to respond. This decision does affect me personally though, thankfully, not too severely at this point in time. But still, it hurts.
“Once again, it’s a loss for the trans community in sports. And that breaks my heart.
“As a trans person in the darts world, I know how vital inclusion is not just on paper, but in practice.
“It’s disheartening to see yet another policy framed around ‘fairness’ that ultimately results in exclusion, without truly considering the people behind the labels.
“My heart goes out to all the athletes impacted by this. We remain visible. We keep going.”
Van Leuven was the first openly transgender person to compete in a televised darts tournament and the first to play at the PDC World Championship.
She began her transition aged 16 and had to pass stringent transitioning tests to play in women’s darts – debuting with the PDC in 2022.
Van Leuven will now only compete in the Open Category – which includes male players – under the WDF.
A WDF statement read: “Effective Monday 28 July 2025, entry and participation in WDF Women’s and Girls Ranking Tournaments and Cups will only be open to players that are WOMEN/FEMALE as defined under this policy.
“Accordingly, WDF Tournaments, Cups and Ranking Tables will be renamed and redefined as ‘Open’, ‘Women’, ‘Open Youth’ and ‘Girls’ tournaments and cups.
“We understand these changes may be challenging for people who want to compete in darts in the gender which they are now registered as.
“The WDF has directly contacted its Member Countries so as they can discuss these changes with affected players directly.”
But the ruling will not effect transgender players in PDC competition.
The PDC, who did not comment on the matter when approached by SunSport, operate under the rules of the Darts Regulation Authority.
Last year, Van Leuven broke new ground as she became the first Dutch woman to qualify for the World Darts Championship.
But she was eliminated in the first round by compatriot Kevin Doets.
She also featured in the Women’s World Matchplay of Darts in Blackpool this month – reaching the semi-final before losing to eventual winner Lisa Ashton.
Van Leuven is currently ranked 4th in the PDC Women’s Order of Merit, with the top three stars eligible to qualify for the WDC and top rank qualifying for the Grand Slam of Darts.
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