British pool star Lynne Pinches has lumped praise on darts player Deta Hedman for her refusal to face a transgender opponent at the Denmark Open, claiming that female athletes ‘should not be have to make these decisions’.
On Monday, Hedman, forfeit her chance to advance to the semi-final of the tournament after refusing to face trans opponent Noa-Lynn van Leuven in the quarter-finals.
The 64-year-old darts player, who has previously spoken out against trans athletes competing in female sports, called for non-biological female athletes to be banned, before telling BILD: ‘I’m not playing against a man in a women’s event.’
Pinches, meanwhile, ceded the final of the Women’s Champions of Champions pool event in 2023 to trans player Harriet Haynes after refusing to play against her opponent, citing the fairness of allowing transgender athletes to compete against natal females. The pool star stunned audiences by starting the match against Haynes, before going back to her seat, packing up her cue before leaving the arena.
On Monday, she delivered her backing to Hedman, writing on X (formerly Twitter): ‘Deta Hedman forfeits darts match against Noah Van Leuven. Full respect to her standing for fairness. It’s not an easy decision to make and we shouldn’t have to!! Stop this madness please.’
British pool player Lynne Pinches has lumped praise on Deta Hedman for walking away from a darts match against a transgender athlete
Hedman (left) refused to play against Noa-Lynn van Leuven (right) in the Denmark Open
Pinches recently turned down her first-ever professional contract in February after the World Eightball Pool Federation made a U-turn on its policies on transgender athletes
Pinches previously admitted her devastation of withdrawing from her match against Haynes, revealing that she was ‘left crying until 3am’ and that she ‘did not care about the money or the title’ but just wanted ‘fairness’.
This year, she has again spoken out against trans athletes competing in female sports, refusing a first-ever professional contract in February stating that non-biological female pool players have an unfair competitive advantage over their opponents.
It came following a U-turn by the World Eightball Pool Federation (WEPF) who stated in August 2023, that trans players would not be eligible to play against ‘naturally-born women’. That decision was subsequently reversed, which Pinches claimed was the ‘nail in the coffin’ for her.
‘The U-turn was the nail in the coffin for me, I was done then,’ she said earlier this year.
She added: ‘I’m doing this because I want to fight for the future of young people who are saying they want to quit (playing pool) before they even start.
‘You can’t bring up the hopes of hundreds of women and say you’re going to have a female-only section in August, and then change that eight weeks later.’
It had been reported that Hedman had pulled out of the match against Van Leuven, ranked fourth in the PDC 2024 Women’s Order of Merit, due to illness. But she hit back at those claims on X, writing: ‘No fake illness, I said I wouldn’t play a man in a ladies event.’
The darts player, who is a three-time WDF World Championship finalist, subsequently went on to write a message for Save Women’s Sport – an organisation that campaigns for fairness within female sports world-wide.
‘This subject causing much angst in the sport I love. People can be whoever they want in life but I don’t think biological-born men should compete in women’s sport,’ the former World Masters and Dutch Open champion wrote to the group.
Van Leuven, who began transitioning in 2022, has won two tournaments this year, claiming the PDC Women’s Series in Wigan and a PDC Tour event in Hildesheim, Germany – an event that saw her win a prize of £2,500. In 2023, she became the first trans darts player to compete in a televised tournament.
After winning in Germany, Van Leuven told Sky Sports: ‘I tried to enjoy life as much as possible I transitioned before going through a lot of meetings with a psychologist.’
Pinches (left) refused to face Harriet Haynes, with her opponent being left stunned
Pinches (right) stayed on site to pose with her runners-up trophy alongside Shaun Baker (left) despite her retirement
Haynes (right) was awarded the Women’s Champions of Champions title by Baker (left) by default after Pinches’ withdrawal
Haynes was also crowned the 2023 Ladies Masters Champion in what has been an impressive 2023
Hedman had subsequently stated that she: ‘I’m not playing against a man in a women’s event’
Deta Hedman has pulled out of the Denmark Open after refusing to face a transgender rival
Last month she hinted that she could quit the sport due to the ‘present issues with the ladies game’
Van Leuven, who began transitioning in 2022, recently won £2,500 at the PDC Tour event in Hildesheim, Germany
The incident comes after the World Darts Federation clarified its position on transgender athletes competing in their events on April 25.
The organisation clarified their Transgender Athlete Policy which reads: ‘The WDF believes in equal opportunity for all people to participate in the sport of darts, as athletes, coaches, officials, staff and other volunteers.
‘However, in instances where a Transgender individual wishes to compete, the WDF will consider eligibility guidelines to ensure a fair and level playing field for all participants.’
The incident has attracted attention from some other names in sport, with 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova writing: ‘No male bodies in women’s sports please – not even in darts.’
‘Again – women get the short end of the stick. And it stinks,’ she continued on X.’
Former American collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines offered to pay compensation to Hedman for pulling out of the event which the darts star declined.
In December Hedman had previously called for trans players Van Leuven and Victoria Monaghan to be banned from ranked women’s tournaments in a post on Facebook.
Martina Navratilova (pictured) said: ‘No male bodies in women’s sports please not even in darts’ after Van Leuven won a competition in Wigan
Posting on social media platform X, Navratilova added: ‘Again – women get the short end of the stick. And it stinks’
American former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines (centre left) offered to pay Hedman any money she did not get paid for pulling out of the Denmark Open
Hedman thanked gains for the offer, but stated that she had been paid in full already
‘For many months I’ve struggled with transgenders playing in the women’s world ranked events,’ she said.
She then adds: ‘Then came the acceptance of trans women being allowed to play in women’s sports by the WDF, PDC, county darts and independent events.
‘I have though this is wrong since day one, I have no problems with transgenders in life, I’m not close to Noa-Lynn in darts but in fairness seems a lovely person.
‘At Lakeside I met Victoria Monaghan and she is right character we had banter and a fair few laughs, but my personal view is trans shouldn’t playing in women’s ranked events.’
She stated that she raised her concerns with the WDF but also added that the organisation was ‘concerned with legal challenges’ and ‘needed scientific proof a trans player has an advantage over biological women’.
