The arrest of the famous Belarusian basketball player Elena Levchenko caused a resonance in the basketball community. Many rivals of the Belarusian on the floor expressed their support.

After it became known that the best center of the 2010 World Championship, Elena Levchenko, was detained at the airport of the capital of Belarus, was not allowed to undergo planned treatment and rehabilitation, and was sentenced to 15 days of arrest for taking part in a peaceful protest against the falsification of the presidential elections in In Belarus, basketball players from the top WNBA clubs supported Elena Levchenko and retweeted the news of her arrest.

Emma Missemann is the Belgian center of the WNBA Washington Mystics and the Russian UMMC. The second Belgian to qualify for the WNBA draft.

Ebony Hoffman is an American basketball player who has played in the Indiana Fever and Los Angeles Sparks WNBA clubs.

Kim Mestda is a basketball player for the WNBA Washington Mystics and the Belgian national team.

Sandrine Gruda is the French national team center for the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks.

Giorgi Sottana - captain of the Italian national team, basketball player of Fenerbahce.

Julie Allemand is a basketball player for the WNBA Indiana Fever and the Belgian national team.

Women's NBA champion and Olympic silver medalist in the French national team Sandrine Gruda left a message with the hashtag #FreeLeuchanka, publishing the news of Levchenko's arrest.

“I feel so sad right now @yelenaleu” added Gruda.

The Italian national team player Giorgi Sottana, WNBA champion Belgian Kim Mestda, ex-WNBA player, Turkish champion Ebony Hoffman, WNBA player Belgian Julie Allemand, WNBA player Belgian Emma Missseman posted messages about Levchenko's arrest in their accounts.

And the official account of the International Basketball Federation on Instagram was inundated with user messages about the situation with Elena Levchenko.

The most titled tennis player in the history of Russia, Evgeny Kafelnikov, reacted to the news and wrote succinctly: "Horror!"

In an interview with Euroradio Live, Belarusian basketball player Yegor Meshcheryakov assured that support from the international community would be even more tangible.

- Since 2019, I have been a member of the FIBA ​​Athletes Commission. Today I had a conversation with the chairman of the commission, the legend of European and world basketball, 14-time participant of the NBA All-Star Game Dirk Nowitzki. He understands what is happening with Lena, understands about the arrest. All members of the FIBA ​​Athletes' Commission have already been notified of the incident. They intend to talk with the FIBA ​​Secretary General to bring the situation to the highest basketball level.

I also spoke with Lena's agent, he assured me that he would bring the case of Levchenko to the structures of the women's NBA.

I think we will have more international support than the support of the sports community from within. Because in the kitchens 90 percent is for us, but we have very few public support, ”Meshcheryakov said.

In Belarus, whole sports teams could not endure the arrest of Elena Levchenko.

The day before yesterday the handball team of the Main League of the Championship of Belarus "Vityaz-Leon" spoke out against the arrest of basketball player Elena Levchenko. The athletes sent an official letter to the Handball Federation refusing to go to the home game.

The next day, the Belarusian handball federation took revenge and removed "Vityaz-Leon" from the championship and cup of Belarus.

Here's the solution:

"In accordance with clause 28 of the Regulations on the XXIX Championship and the Cup of the Republic of Belarus in handball among men's and women's teams, to exclude the Vityaz-Leon team from further participation in the XXIX Championship and Cup of the Republic of Belarus in handball," the federation's website says.

Also, the collegium decided to annul all the results of the matches previously played by the "Vityaz-Leon" team.

The participant of the Second League of the Championship of Belarus on football "Pershy Ragiyon" published on Vkontakte an open letter to the Belarusian Football Federation, in which it claims that it will not participate in the matches of the second league of the Championship of Belarus in protest against “the phenomena that are taking place in athletes, teams and media representatives ”.

“At the team meeting, we decided that we must express solidarity with our colleagues, who for many years, in any condition, fought to the blood for the honor of Belarus at the competitions, which pushed our sport forward in the media field, without letting us hopelessly lag behind modern trends in the field of sports. Starting from the next game against FC Molodechno, we will stop playing in the second league of the Championship of the Republic of Belarus until such phenomena stop in Belarusian sports, ”the team said in a statement.

Football club "Torpedo" (Minsk) has suspended participation in the Minsk football championship in connection with the latest sports events, the club reports on social networks.

“We cannot and should not put up with the lawlessness that is going on around: the persecution of the swimming school of Alexandra Gerasimeni, the 15-day arrest of Elena Levchenko on a falsified case, the disqualification of Vityaz-Leon for expressing its civil position, threats against other signatories athletes' treatment is a shame and shame of those who made such decisions, ”the club said in a statement.

FC Torpedo said that it is proud of all athletes who go through pressure with dignity and do not change their principles, and also encourages others to join the campaign of sports and civil solidarity.