Darts: they leave their selection rather than accept a transgender teammate

The Dutch darts federation confirmed on Monday the departure of two players who refuse to compete alongside a transgender woman on the national team. Anca Zijlstra, 50, and Aileen de Graaf, 33, announced on social media on Saturday their withdrawal from the national team because they no longer wanted to represent the Netherlands with Noa-Lynn van Leuven, 27, the 6th player in the world.

Aileen de Graaf, world number two, and Anca Zijlstra (N. 12) have “informed the Dutch Darts Federation (NDB) that they are leaving the selection,” the NDB said in a press release.

“The reason is that they do not want to play in the Dutch team with a transgender person,” said the federation, saying it “regretted” this decision. “We know that Noa-Lynn van Leuven has transitioned from male to female and that her gender identity is female,” the NDB said.

“She meets all the requirements” and is eligible to play in the women’s category, in accordance with the guidelines, according to the federation. “The moment you are ashamed to play for the Dutch team because a biological man plays for the women's team, it's time to leave,” Anca Zijlstra explained on Facebook on Saturday.

“I believe that sport should have a level playing field, which should be used and accepted in good conscience,” she added.

Noa-Lynn van Leuven won her first major event on the Challenge Tour in Germany last week and this weekend claimed her first title in the PDC Women's Series in Wigan, England.

“I don’t really feel the need to delve further into this subject. It was their choice and not mine. The sad thing about this is that many people forget that I am also a human being,” she told Dutch public broadcaster NOS.

“We defend a sport in which everyone feels at home and where everyone can participate (...) regardless of your origin, your political preferences, your gender, your sexual orientation, your race or your religion,” underlined the federation.

Darts is very popular in the Netherlands, at amateur and professional level, with players like Raymond van Barneveld and Michael van Gerwen considered legends of the sport.

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