World Darts Federation has threatened female competitors with disciplinary action if they refuse to compete against trans-identifying males.

Ahead of this year’s World Championship, the WDF issued a statement that made it clear the federation will not tolerate any woman who forfeits their match because they have to play against a biological male, months after British female darts player Deta Hedman did just that, Yahoo News reported.

“The WDF wishes to clarify its position on player withdrawals,” the statement read.

“Once the first dart has been thrown in a tournament, any player that subsequently withdraws from playing a match may be considered to be bringing the game into disrepute and could face disciplinary action,” it added.

The World Darts Federation (WDF) has issued a statement saying that any woman who withdraws from a women’s darts competition because a man is competing in it could “face disciplinary action” for reasons including “preserving the integrity” of the WDF https://t.co/qXDOuOV9V7

— ripx4nutmeg (@ripx4nutmeg) September 3, 2024

“This stance has been taken to suitably protect our member countries, their tournaments and tournament sponsors, as well as to preserve the integrity of the WDF ranking system,” the statement concluded.

In May, Hedman made headlines after she dropped out of her darts competition in Denmark after having to face transgender competitor Noa-Lynn van Leuven in the quarterfinals. Hedman forfeited her game and later went on social media to explain that “biological born men” should not “compete in Women’s sport.”

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“No fake illness, I said I wouldn’t play a man in a ladies event,” Hedman wrote on X, the New York Post noted.

Last month, Hedman withdrew from another competition after learning she would face another transgender opponent, Yahoo News noted.

Following the release of the WDF’s statement, Hedman told Telegraph Sport she felt that it was directed right at her, the outlet noted.

“When that statement went out, I felt it was aimed at me,” the British darts player said. “They haven’t shown any regard for the mental health of anyone female-born at all.”

“It’s all about the mental health of transgender women,” she added. “They have not once come to us ladies and asked how we are feeling about it. We’re having to stand up to say, ‘This is how we feel.'”

She also talked about dropping out in May due to her “mental health” after being told she must compete against a biological male.

“It’s been affecting me for a very, very long time,” Hedman told the outlet. “And, when it did happen, I just broke down. I was a mess, an absolute mess.”

Related: ‘I Just Don’t Give A S***’: ESPN Sportscaster Doubles Down On How Men Don’t ‘Belong In Women’s Sports’

Former president Donald Trump denied reports of an altercation between his campaign staff and staff at Arlington National Cemetery, calling it a “made up story” to cover up the Biden-Harris administration’s record in Afghanistan.

NPR was first to report that two members of Trump’s campaign “had a verbal and physical altercation … with an official at Arlington National Cemetery” as the former president attended a wreath-laying ceremony for 13 U.S. service members killed during the Afghanistan withdrawal.

“There was no conflict or ‘fighting’ at Arlington National Cemetery last week. It was a made up story by Comrade Kamala and her misinformation squad,” Trump posted on social media on Tuesday. “She made it all up to make up for the fact that she and Sleepy Joe have BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS for the INCOMPETENT AFGHANISTAN Withdrawal – THE MOST EMBARRASSING DAY IN U.S. HISTORY!!!”

“They should have been at Arlington, not on a beach or studying for a Debate. Thank you to my friends, the GREAT GOLD STAR FAMILIES, for revealing the TRUTH OF A BEAUTIFUL DAY OF HONOR. Could not have been a nicer moment-And there were no fights or problems, only in the heads of those that are destroying our Country!” he continued.

The NPR report quoted an anonymous source stating that the altercation happened after a “cemetery official tried to prevent Trump staffers from filming and photographing in a section where recent U.S. casualties are buried,” citing cemetery rules.

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Trump campaign contested the story. “The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and for whatever reason an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told NPR in a statement.

The White House has denied that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were invited to the event at Arlington National Cemetery. Kelly Barnett, Gold Star mother of Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, who died during the withdrawal, said Tuesday that Biden and Harris were invited to the event multiple times, but refused to show.

“I didn’t invite her personally or him personally. Governor Cox of Utah sent [Biden] a letter, letting him know the celebration that we were having, the ceremony that we were having, [and] told him that it would be good for him to be there,” Barnett said on Fox News.

“Also, Arlington Cemetery let them know of the ceremony, so they … went without any kind of response from either one. So, they were aware of the ceremony. They knew that it would be in their best interest to be there, and they refused to attend,” she added.