Yes, according to BDO chairman, Barry Hearn. The sport of darts has produced some standout male and female players, consider Phil Taylor or Lisa Ashton.

Darts continues to grow as a sport across the world and continues to produce and attract new exciting talent. Mikuru Suzuki is some such talent. 

Suzuki took her first BDO World Championship title this year defeating the favourite and defending champion, Lisa Ashton, in her first appearance at the competition. She is set to appear at next year's BDO World Championships in its first year at London's TheO2 arena, to defend her title.

Today, Barry Hearn, the chairman of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), told The Darts Show that he believes darts is "gender-free".

"The great thing about darts is that it's gender-free, it's gender-neutral.

"It's a level playing field if you're a good enough player it doesn't matter if you're a woman or a man. It doesn't matter if you're fat or thin, I don't care just show me that you can produce big averages and that you can win matches and take out doubles when you're under pressure.

"That's the end of the game," he said.

"I'm really pleased to see that there is progress in the women's game. I was pleased that our Japanese BDO world champion (Mikuru Suzuki) qualified for Alexandra Palace, I thought that she and Lisa (Ashton) played quite well."

"They didn’t let themselves down at all at the Grand Slam but there’s another level that they’ve got to get to. Whether they can do it or whether the next generation of young girls who come into darts can do it?

“One thing is for sure, it’s going to be done. We’re going to produce women players that can stand shoulder to shoulder and give a man a good game or a good beating.”