October 22nd 2024.
Noa-Lynn van Leuven was looking forward to her upcoming debut at the World Darts Championship, as she made her way to Alexandra Palace. The transgender darts star from the Netherlands had recently secured her place in the top two on the PDC Women's Series Order of Merit, after winning her fourth Women's Series event of the year with an impressive 109.64 average. However, her success was met with criticism from some players on the women's circuit, who were unhappy about a trans player competing against them.
In an interview with Dutch outlet Nu, Van Leuven expressed her frustration with the negative reactions, stating that there were "toxic b*****s" on the tour who saw her as a threat. She also mentioned that there were many others who secretly supported her and didn't understand the commotion. Despite the backlash, Van Leuven remained determined and focused on her upcoming competitions, including the Grand Slam of Darts next month.
Reflecting on her journey, Van Leuven acknowledged that she had faced challenges and had to put in a lot of time and effort to improve her game. She also addressed the criticism that she had undergone gender reassignment surgery for the sole purpose of winning in women's events, stating that the process was incredibly difficult and not something she would wish on anyone. Her main motivation was not to win more prize money, but to be true to herself and her identity.
One of Van Leuven's vocal critics, veteran player Deta Hedman, had refused to play against her at a tournament earlier this year and even withdrew from another event after being drawn to play another transgender player. This prompted the World Darts Federation to issue a statement warning players that they could face disciplinary action for withdrawing from matches once the tournament had started. Despite this, Hedman maintained her stance and expressed concerns about the mental health of female-born players.
In response, Van Leuven stated that the immediate reaction to her success was positive, with invitations to appear on talk shows and an outpouring of supportive messages. However, she also acknowledged that she had to deal with hate comments and negative reactions, which she believed said more about the individuals making them than about her. She called for respect and acceptance for all individuals and their choices.
As she prepared for her debut at the World Darts Championship, Van Leuven remained determined and focused, not letting the negativity affect her. She was grateful for the support she had received and looked forward to proving herself on the big stage at Ally Pally.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
