Transgender darts player defies hecklers to book place at World Championship

dailystar.co.uk:

darts ace has made history by becoming the first transgender player to qualify for a World Championship.Victoria Monaghan, who has transitioned to female in recent years, won the New Zealand Women Open Women’s title last month to book her place at next year’s WDF World Championship at the legendary Lakeside venue in Frimley Green.

While the PDC World Championship at the Alexandra Palace is an integrated event, the WDF equivalent has separate men’s and women’s sections.As a man, Monaghan played competitively and was a nationally-ranked player before giving up the sport for a spell in 2018.

Her path to victory at the NZ Open was far from straightforward. She had been told she couldn’t compete in darts tournaments, despite complying with the WDF’s transgender policy, although the decision was eventually overturned. READ MORE: Darts drama as player is disqualified after throwing a dart into the scorer’s leg While proud of her success, she was on the receiving end of “negative comments” and heckles from sections of the audience. “There was an added pressure there.

Being who I am, it made it a little bit more difficult, because there were a few voiced opinions there not believing that I should be there," she said, reported RNZ.“It’s a little tarnished with a few of the comments that were made, but it's still sinking in.