Thursday, May 10, 2024
Column HR454
Hyde Park and Darts?
Hyde Park in London is famous for its speaker’s corner. That spot is used as an open forum for oral debate. It’s appropriate to link it to darts at this time. While this space should focus on news about people that throw “pointy things at a round board” (important only for those in the dart world) darts has drawn international interest.
Toeing the Oche and the Old Dart Coach would normally be waxing poetic about superstar Luke Littler. But today, the Queen of Darts, Ms. Deta Hedman, has captured the world’s attention. But first…
Littler entered the Premier League without a single PDC win which raised the eyebrows and ire of many veteran players. In his first PDC appearance he lost in the finals of the world championship. In less than 6 months he has proved to be something special. At this time, he leads the Premier League standings and should remain there until the playoffs on the 23rd of May. Last Thursday, Littler captured his 4th Premier League night when he beat Rob Cross 6-4.
Littler had to battle Nathan Aspinall in his first match, as has become a usual scenario. The pair were tired at 3 with serve being held. Then, Littler broke after Aspinall missed one at 36 – Littler followed by taking out 64 (8, 16, d20). After a Littler 5-3 lead, Aspinall would level at 5 with the darts in the decider. Littler missed the bull for the win, leaving Aspinall at T60. He got his pair of t20s but missed the d20 Shanghai for the win. Littler then took out 25 for the match.
Littler then destroyed Michael Smith 6-1 averaging a healthy 110.
Peter Wright’s a fresh and always entertaining personality. His latest comments describe a behind the scenes look at the practice room. “Like all the other guys and myself, we practice a lot in the back room. He [Littler] just sits there on his phone, gets up and has about five minutes, then walks on the stage and spanks everyone!” Littler’s on his way to King.
The ODC has long been a longtime friend and fan of Deta Hedman. Deta is an elegant person, a great dart player and a person with character. She separates herself with rock hard principles lacking in many darters. Deta has now cemented beyond a shadow of a doubt that she deserves the tile as The Queen: she took a moral-principled stand at the Denmark Open.
Placing principle ahead of money or WDF ranking points she acted. In the quarter finals Deta forfeited her match against “Feel Like a Woman with male attached equipment”, Noa-Lynn van Leuven – who one person describes as “openly transgender” (as opposed, one would guess, to one who is not open). Go figure.
The facts are that Deta refused to play her quarter finals match on the principle that “women’s darts” is for women and girls. Deta reflected: “This is not about the rights or wrongs about my decision at the Denmark Open yesterday, but I want to put the record straight. I spoke to tournament director Carsten Jeppesen in a private chat. We went to an area backstage. No other officials were in earshot and definitely no other players were there.”
Hedman was forced to speak out after a sleazeball reporter (Phil Barrs), without checking reported that: “Deta didn’t refuse to play Noa; she informed the control desk and tournament organizers she was ill and in pain, so was unable to play. So, this way she would still pick up ranking points by not refusing to play because of who the opponent was.”
Deta fired back. “Phil Barrs posts on X, etc. are totally untrue. He claims he was told by a very reliable source. I didn’t falsely claim to be sick so that I could protect my ranking points.”
(There are reports that the “reliable source” is known. The ODC ‘suspects’ but is waiting for a real reliable source to publish.)
Barrs has made other claims that were in fact false. He quoted that Anca Zijlstra has resigned from the Dutch Team after losing to van Leuven. That proved to be false as she had resigned before they played. This from the old “reliable source.”
Barrs’ post resulted in Anca receiving online abuse and threats. Deta spared no words in her advice to Barrs. “Perhaps, Phil, you should check both sides of a story before posting absolute crap, that not only is inaccurate but now on 2 occasions has falsely accused two ladies and caused grief.”
The Sultan of Sittingbourne (Dave Whitcombe) spoke out: “I see that Deta Hedman is being criticized heavily by the idiot Phil Barrs. No doubt he’s relying on his criticism to put a smile on certain people’s faces in order to look good. Unfortunately, he’s overlooked the fact that ‘the certain people’ also think he’s an idiot.”
Deta has been accused by the WOKE brigade of causing kids to commit suicide. LOL.
People took to Facebook to convey a flurry of “Atta Girl” praise…
“I feel so bad for Deta… that it has come to this. She is a great competitor, and it must have been such a difficult choice. She is doing this for women’s darts and women’s sport in the bigger picture. I hope other female players back her fully. Don’t hold your breath on that.
Ms. Linda (Battan) Duffy wrote: “I’m old school… been in the game over 40 years… could you see this happening in your days? The WDF would have stopped this before it developed like it has. Deta has done what other players should have done months ago. Come on WDF – get your head out.” (We can guess from where Linda suggested the WDF get their head out.)
As is too often the case, Deta’s action brough out the one of the dimmer bulbs in darts, Anthony Eno. He posted: “Sad to see Noa-Lynn Van Leuven has not played in the Danish tournament today. I hope this isn’t because she felt decimated against (maybe even bullied) by the senior players and officials. The BDO (Family) would never have stood for this.”
Noa-Lynn van Leuven played in the PDC Players Championship on Monday and was delt a Snyder (6-nil) in the first round by Gary Anderson.
Last week, this space laid out the rules for a tranny to play in WDF events. One has to wonder if van Leuven filed all the appropriate paper work with the WDF?
Did the WDF restore Deta’s ranking points?
Oh yes, American swimmer Riley Gaines (also a leader in “defending women’s single-sex spaces”) offered to make up the money that Deta lost by standing on principle.
Stay thirsty my friends.
