Dutch transgender darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven is speaking out after the World Darts Federation (WDF) announced a new policy that bars biological men from competing in the women’s division.
In a statement posted to Instagram, van Leuven called the decision “a loss for the trans community in sports,” and said the move reflects a broader pattern of exclusion masked as fairness.
“This past Monday, the WDF 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,” van Leuven wrote.
She continued: “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.”
Van Leuven criticized the WDF’s emphasis on “fairness,” saying such language is being used to justify exclusion.
“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.”
According to Fox News, van Leuven reached the WDF Dutch Open semifinals in both 2023 and 2024, before joining the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) circuit, where she has since claimed six women’s titles.
The WDF has not yet responded publicly to van Leuven’s criticism. The policy change comes amid ongoing international debate over transgender participation in women’s sports.
