Transgender darts star Noa-Lynn van Leuven says women’s tour has ‘toxic b****** who see me as a threat’

NOA-LYNN VAN LEUVEN has hit out at “toxic b******” on the women’s darts tour.

The Dutch star will become the first transgender player to compete at the PDC World Championship this year.

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Noa-Lynn van Leuven will compete at the World Championships[/caption]

INSTAGRAM @noalynn180

Van Leuven has had to deal with a lot of criticism[/caption]

Darts is one of the few professional sports where men and women can compete against each other on an equal footing.

Van Leuven, 28, has won four titles this year, including the 21st PDC Women’s Series in Leicester on Saturday.

At the WDF World Cup, she won gold with the Dutch team and in the pairs tournament.

However, before the competition, a members’ meeting took place and decided that trans women would no longer be welcome at WDF events.

It is not yet known when the rule will come into effect.

Van Leuven hit out at the decision and claimed that the sport has moved backwards.

She wrote on social media: “I thought the world should know.

“This is discrimination. We have been thrown back 40 years with the sport of darts.”

The darts ace has insisted that she gets positive reactions from younger players on the tour.

However, she has claimed that some are threatened by her.

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She won the 21st PDC Women’s Series[/caption]

She told Dutch media NU: “They secretly tell me that they don’t understand the commotion.

“But there are a lot of conservative, toxic b****** on the women’s tour.

“They see me as a threat.”

Three-time world championship finalist Deta Hedman is one fierce critic and has sometimes withdrawn from events which have included Van Leuven out of protest.

She was criticised for enjoying more success in the women’s circuit compared to when she competed on the men’s.

However, Van Leuven has claimed that this is because she is now “more comfortable” when throwing and that she is putting in more effort.

She said: “I throw well now because I feel more comfortable.

“It’s a matter of putting money and hours into it.

“Not many women do that, but I do. I’ve proven I can win over men, too.”

Van Leuven has been on the receiving end of online abuse.

This has had led to her being afraid to go outside and suffering panic attacks.

She said: “People send the most terrible messages and then go on preparing their pasta.

“They have no idea the impact it has on my life.

“I didn’t dare go out on the street for several weeks and had panic attacks. It did take a while for that fear to go away.”

The PDC also make a point of switching off comments on X posts whenever they mention Van Leuven’s oche exploits to avoid an avalanche of abuse.

Van Leuven – a sous-chef in her hometown of Beverwijk – will be in action next month, alongside Beau Greaves, in the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton.

She will become the first Dutch woman to appear in the PDC World Darts Championship and is not afraid of being criticised.

She added: “We’ll see. I don’t care.

“Standing there as the first Dutch woman is already the ultimate middle finger for me.”