Noa-Lynn van Leuven, a transgender darts player from the Netherlands, is vowing to fight back against a new ruling that bans her from competing in lucrative womens events.On Thursday, van Leuven sounded the alarm after being notified the previous day that, effective immediately: "only biological females should be eligible to compete in womens tournaments regulated by DRA [Darts Regulation Authority] Rules." In her mind, the email which the governing body sent ahead of its official policy announcement essentially retired her from the sport."Apparently, I just got retired not by choice, but because Im no longer allowed to compete," Van Leuven said in an Instagram video of the ruling that applies to the events hosted by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). "The DRA just decided trans women are no longer allowed in womens events, which basically means Im out."In its statement, the DRA said that it had landed on the new policy after issuing a review of its Trans and Gender Diverse Policy in 2025. As part of the review, the body commissioned a report from an academic developmental biologist who has published several papers on sex and categories in sport and considered extensive legal advice. And it had reached the conclusion that limiting womens events to biological females was necessary to achieve fair competition in darts.Ive worked so damn hard for years just to get here. I showed up, I competed. I respected the sport every game, every single day. And now, with just one decision, Im being told I dont belong anymore, van Leuven, who became the first transgender woman to play at the PDC World Darts Championship in 2024, continued in the Instagram post.On Friday, the 29-year-old athlete who has qualified for the past two world championships through the through the Womens Series issued a follow-up statement, revealing that she had been shocked to learn about the bodys reasoning for the new policy, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the reviews findings. She also said that she was resolved to keep moving forward in the sport, despite growing resistance to her and other trans womens participation.I dont want to step away from this game, but it feels like its being made harder and harder to keep going. Strike after strike, van Leuven wrote on Instagram. At the start of this year, I had a clearer plan for myself and like you can imagine, thats gone now, she said. Im not finished with this game. I still want to keep going. I just need time to process this and find a new path forward.In her message the day before, the Dutch athlete framed the DRAs announcement as another huge hit for the trans community, in light of a March ruling from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that is expected to exclude transgender women from the 2028 summer games. The IOCs controversial policy which marks a reversal of the bodys more favorable rulings from the recent past will restrict participation in womens events to athletes deemed biological females, based on a one-time genetic screening for the SRY gene.This article originally appeared on Out: Trans darts player vows to fight ban from women's events: 'I'm not finished with this game'RELATEDMeet Maven Maurer, the former pro football player who came out as trans