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Darts star Deta Hedman has pulled out of the Denmark Open after refusing to face transgender competitor Noa-Lynn van Leuven.
The 64-year-old has been a vocal critic of rules allowing transgender women to compete in women's tournaments.
Hedman, is one of the most well known figures in the women's darts scene, and in the past has called on the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and the World Darts Federation (WDF) to exclude transgender athletes from women's tournaments.
At the WDF tournament in Denmark, Hedman was due to face Van Leuven in the quarter-finals, but instead decided to boycott the game.
As per German outlet BILD, Hedman said: '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
She had been due to face Noa-Lynn van Leuven but instead opted to boycott the game
Hedman has previously called on transgender competitors to be banned from ranked events
Van Leuven has been a woman since 2014 and won two tournaments back in March, the PDC Women's Series in Wigan and a PDC Tour event in Hildesheim, Germany a week prior.
Facing off against Ireland's Katie Sheldon in the final van Leuven triumphed 5-2 to claim £2,000 in prize money.
Two of Van Leuven's Dutch compatriots have left their national team in protest following her second competition triumph in March.
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she was stepping away 'with pain in my heart' - before world number two Aileen de Graaf quit hours later in vowing to no longer represent the Netherlands.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.'
Posting on social media platform X, Martina added: 'Again - women get the short end of the stick. And it stinks.'
Hedman was involved at the PDC Women's Series in Wigan and hinted that the storm surrounding the
