Female darts star who FORFEITED over refusing to play against a transgender player in women's tournament speaks out - and explains why biological men have an advantage in her sport

British female darts player Deta Hedman has shed new light on her decision to forfeit a tournament after refusing to face a transgender player - as she hit out at 'totally untrue' claims about her reason for withdrawing.

The 64-year-old, who has been a vocal critic of rules allowing transgender women to compete in women's tournaments, pulled out of a quarter-final match at the Danish Open.

Hedman was due to face Noa-Lynn van Leuven but decided to boycott the match, bluntly telling German newspaper Bild: 'I'm not playing against a man in a women's event.'

Claims were later made by darts presenter and journalist Phill Barrs on social media platform X that Hedman had pulled out after alleging she was unwell and 'in pain' - enabling her to withdraw without losing any ranking points.   

Hedman immediately back at him, saying: ''No fake illness, I said I wouldn't play a man in a ladies event. Don't listen to @phillbarrs he knows sweet fa, nor does his reliable source.'

Now the veteran player - one of the most well known figures in the women's darts scene - has attempted to clarify the situation with a lengthy post on Facebook. 

She wrote: 'This is not about the rights or the wrongs about my decision at the Denmark Open yesterday but I want to put the record straight. 

'I went to control to speak to Carsten Jappesen, who was the tournament director and asked for a private chat. We went to an area backstage and not even my other half Paul witnessed what was said. Certainly no other officials were in earshot and definitely not other players were there. 

'I understand Phill Barrs has made posts on X etc that are totally untrue. A friend contacted him and he claims he was told by a reliable source. I know his source and that's why I state only Carsten and myself were present in that meeting. I didn't falsely claim to be sick so that I could protect my ranking points. 

'This 'journalist' quoted similar about Anca Zijlstra, which resulted in Anca receiving online abuse and threats - again he said a reliable source informed him! 

'Perhaps Phil you should check both sides of a story before posting absolute c**p that not only is inaccurate but now on two occasions have falsely accused two ladies that have caused grief.' 

Mail Sport has reached out to Phill Barrs for comment. 

Hedman later reiterated the advantage men have over women in darts after a fan questioned what the main difference was. 

'You ever suffered from menstrual, peri menopause, menopause, fibroids, endometriosis etc? By your response, I very much doubt it.' 

Hedman had later written to Save Women's Sport - an international campaign calling for 'fairness in women's sport' that says 'biological sex matters'.

She said to the group: '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.' 

Many of Hedman's supporters offered to pay her for any money she missed out on as a result of withdrawing - including American former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines - but she was paid in full for the event. 

Veteran pool player Lynne Pinches, who similarly forfeited her winning spot at the Ladies Champions of Champions after she refused to play her transgender opponent, praised Hedman's decision.

'Full respect for her standing for fairness,' Pinches wrote on X. 'It's not an easy decision to make and we shouldn't have to. Stop the madness please.' 

Van Leuven, who became a woman in 2014, won two tournaments in March - the PDC Women's Series in Wigan and a PDC Tour event in Hildesheim, Germany a week prior. 

She faced off against  Ireland's Katie Sheldon in the final, triumphing 5-2 to claim £2,000 in prize money.

Since Van Leuven joined the Dutch national team, two of her compatriots have left in protest following her second triumph earlier this year. 

Anca Zijlstra revealed she was stepping away 'with pain in my heart' - before world number two Aileen de Graaf quit hours later in vowing to no longer represent the Netherlands.

Van Leuven, who became a woman in 2014, won two tournaments in March - the PDC Women's Series in Wigan and a PDC Tour event in Hildesheim, Germany a week prior. 

She faced off against  Ireland's Katie Sheldon in the final, triumphing 5-2 to claim £2,000 in prize money.

Since Van Leuven joined the Dutch national team, two of her compatriots have left in protest following her second triumph earlier this year. 

Anca Zijlstra revealed she was stepping away 'with pain in my heart' - before world number two Aileen de Graaf quit hours later in vowing to no longer represent the Netherlands.

Outraged by the win, 18-time Grand Slam tennis champion Martina Navratilova said: '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. 

Back in December, Hedman called on transgender players including Van Leuven and Victoria Monaghan to be banned from ranked women's tournaments in a lengthy Facebook statement.  

She said: 'For many months I've struggled with transgenders playing in the women's world ranked events.'  

She then went on to highlight how far women's darts has come, after Hedman and others 'fought to get better recognition for women's darts' back in the late 1980s.

Hedman said she 'packed up' in 1997 as she felt there was 'little future for the ladies' before returning when a women's championship was formed.

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.'