DETA Hedman has been at the top of the women’s game for more than 20 years and now she is in prime position to help grow the sport.

The Oxfordshire county player has recently accepted a place on the five-member World Darts Federation (WDF) Players’ Commission.

Hedman is well-placed to offer advice to the WDF’s executive and play a formal role in the governing body’s decision-making process.

The 58-year-old, who has won 126 ranking tournaments, is looking forward to playing a key role.

She said: “I’ve recently accepted a role as a players commissioner.

“And I’ll be doing my best to promote ladies’ darts.”

Hedman is among several female players, including Trina Gulliver, who for years played for the Shears pub in Wantage, and Anastasia Dobromyslova to have competed alongside men on the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) circuit.

However, despite staging a one-off Women’s World Championship event in 2010, the PDC has never established a female tour.

Hedman, a three-time British Darts Organisation (BDO) World Championship finalist, believes the ladies’ game has potential.

She said: “It is on the threshold of progress to the next level.

“We need investment and TV to show what we can do and maybe turn full-time.

“There has been talk of the PDC being interested again, but who knows?”

The women’s game has come a long way since the National Darts Association of Great Britain introduced the first ladies pairs competition in 1958.

But it took a further 21 years for the BDO to add the women’s singles to the British Open.

In 2001, the same organisation introduced the Women’s World Darts Championship.

Despite growing television interest with the matches broadcast on Channel 4 and BT Sport over the last two years, there have still been few opportunities for the ladies game to grow.

World No 1 Hedman said: “We are very grateful for the BDO showing interest in the ladies for many years.

“England Darts and Welsh Darts back the ladies with A+ events – these are the highest ranked events we have.

“I would like Scottish Darts and the BDO to follow suit.”