Two female darts players from the Netherlands have dropped out of the Dutch Women’s Team in response to the participation of a trans-identified male. Aileen de Graaf and Anca Zijlstra sent shockwaves through the sport after they both announced their departure, with the women no longer wanting to form a team with Noa-Lynn Van Leuven.
Zijlstra issued a statement revealing she would be stepping back after Van Leuven dominated the Women’s Series tournament yesterday, beating Zijlstra 4-0 and seizing the Series Title 2 from Ireland’s Katie Sheldon in the final round.
Zijlstra issued her statement on Facebook, writing:
“With pain in my heart… The moment I am ashamed to play for the Dutch Team, because a biological man plays for the women’s team, it is time to go. I have tried to accept this but I cannot condone this. I believe that in sports there should be an equal and fair playing field, which should be used and accepted in good faith. After all, we have worked so hard to be relevant and competitive in this sport,” she said, with the writing being translated from its original Dutch.
She went on to state that she would also be resigning from the Nederlandse Darts Bond [NBD], the governing body for the sport in the Netherlands, noting that it is their discretion which allows males to self-identify into women’s categories.
“I am also resigning from my position as player representative of the NBD with immediate effect. To clarify: The umbrella organizations can decide for themselves whether they allow a trans woman to play with the men, or a trans man to play with the women.”
She concluded her statement with a heartfelt summary of her multi-decade career in the sport.
“I have always considered it an honor to represent our country, and I will always be open to returning to the National Team. I hope with all my heart and for all women in sports that people come to their senses. This decision was not easy and was very difficult. 1991 is the first time that I proudly put on the shirt for the Netherlands.”
Zijlstra’s statement has been met with an overwhelming amount of support, with women scrambling into the comments to praise her for standing up for herself. Among them, Aileen de Graaf, who is currently ranked by World Darts Federation as the Number 2 women’s player on the global leaderboard.
“Proud of you, sweetheart, even if this decision was very difficult for you. At some point you have to make choices if something goes against your feelings. You have to do what feels good for you. Hence my decision to leave the Dutch team,” de Graaf wrote in response to Zijlstra’s statement.
“If someone doesn’t feel comfortable in the body he or she was born in, then I allow everyone to change this and be happy. I just don’t think it’s right that a biological man throws with the women or vice versa. It’s either mixed or not. This is my opinion and many others will think differently about this, but everyone can have an opinion or be open to this.”
AnnMarie Potts, a Welsh darts player, also responded to Zijlstra, writing that she had wanted to forfeit her game against Van Leuven but had been prevented.
“Totally understand where [you’re] coming from. I wanted to forfeit my game against that person but Scott wouldn’t allow it but if I get them first round tomorrow I will forfeit the game, totally wrong it’s either women’s darts or mixed,” Potts wrote.
With the resignation of Zijlstra and de Graaf, the Dutch Women’s Team for the Four Nations Tournament now consists only of Van Leuven and three other players – Desiree Geel, Roos van der Velde and Aletta Wajer. The team will compete against Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg on April 13 and 14.
The situation with Zijlstra and de Graaf echoes a recent upheaval in women’s cue sports, where multiple female players walked away from the table after being matched to play against a trans-identified male.
Last November, Lynne Pinches received an outpouring of support after forfeiting her game against trans-identified male Chris “Harriet” Haynes at a women’s championship in Wales.
Days later, two more female pool players refused to compete against Haynes in solidarity with Pinches during the Ultimate Pool tournament in Blackpool, UK.
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