The Handball Federation of Belarus has suspended the Viciaz-Leon team from the Belarusian Men’s Handball Championship and the Belarusian Handball Cup.
“A joint meeting of the sports and technical commission and the main panel of judges took place at the office of the Belarusian Handball Federation on Oct. 1 regarding the Viciaz-Leon team’s absence without any valid excuse at a match against HC Masheka [Mogilyov] at the 29th Belarusian Men’s Handball Championship, Division 1,” the federation said in a statement published on its website.
As a result, a decision was made to “suspend the Viciaz-Leon team” from the aforementioned championship and the Belarusian Handball Cup and to annul the results of all the matches earlier played by the team.
On Sept. 30, the Viciaz-Leon team failed to show up for its match against HC Masheka in protest over the detention of basketball player Yelena Levchenko by law enforcement agencies. The team forfeited the match.
As reported, Levchenko was noticed in the crowd carrying the poster “Athletes are with the people!” during a recent opposition protest. Levchenko was later detained as part of an administrative case. The Leninsky District Court of Minsk sentenced her to 15 days of administrative arrest.
