Transgender darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven has announced she is taking a break from the sport to focus on her mental health.
The 28-year-old Dutch star made the decision after being eliminated from Q-School this week, where players compete to qualify for major tournaments.
Van Leuven, who made her World Championship debut at Alexandra Palace last month, has been struggling to find her best form in recent competitions.
Taking to Instagram, Van Leuven explained her decision: “The truth is that my mind hasn’t been in the right place for a while. I’ve been struggling with my mental health for months, every time a tournament comes around.”
Transgender darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven has announced she is taking a break from the sport to focus on her mental health
PA
“I’ve tried to push it aside, but this time I haven’t been able to,” she continued. “Focusing on darts, while old traumas from the events of the past year are flaring up, doesn’t work.”
The Dutch player emphasised her need to prioritise her wellbeing: “It’s time to prioritise my mental health and work on getting better.”
Van Leuven enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2024, winning multiple women’s tournaments, but faced significant opposition within the sport.
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Some female rivals, including British player Deta Hedman, called for transgender players to be banned from women’s events.
In response, Van Leuven told Dutch outlet NU: ‘They secretly tell me that they don’t understand the commotion. But there are a lot of conservative, toxic b***hes on the women’s tour.’
She defended her success, stating: ‘It’s a matter of putting money and hours into it. Not many women do that, but I do.’
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Van Leuven also faced rejection from her own national team, with Dutch teammates Anca Zijlstra and Aileen de Graaf leaving in March 2024 after refusing to play with her.
The situation led to daily death threats on social media. “I got so many hate messages on my socials,” Van Leuven previously revealed.
“People recognised me on the street. Most were fine and really supportive.”
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“But those messages, like death threats… how many did I get? On a daily basis? In that period, yes.”
Despite these challenges, Van Leuven emphasised that her departure from darts is temporary.
Trans darts star Noa-Lynn van Leuven says her head ‘hasn’t been in the right place’
PA
“This isn’t the end of my journey, just a step back to move forward,” she added.
“Thanks to everyone who’s supported me along the way I appreciate it more than I can put into words.”