Alena Leuchanka: 2020 Is the Revival of the Belarusian Nation

She feels strength and power.

Basketball player Alena Leuchanka, in an interview with Sports.ru, shared her opinion about the support she received after being detained and further arrested for 15 days.

- Was it a surprise to you that your arrest provoked such a reaction? I saw posts about you in the accounts of people who did not know about the existence of basketball or about rallies against Lukashenka before.

- My lawyer approached me at the trial and asked what he could do for me. I replied that the best thing now is to publicize this whole situation and talk as much as possible about what is happening in Belarus. After that, the guys began to write very actively about my arrest; this was spread by former and current players of the national team, other athletes, European federations, the women's NBA, many world-class players with whom I once played, and even young basketball players who have only recently started competing in the WNBA.

To be honest, I did not expect such a reaction. This is very pleasant, but the main thing is that it gives publicity not only to what happened to me but to what is happening in general. More people began to pay attention to what is happening in Belarus.

- Are you planning to return to your homeland?

- Sure. I am a citizen of the Republic of Belarus. I have my passport with me, and I did not renounce my citizenship. I have not committed any crimes; I see no reason to run away and hide. Now I am in Greece because I want to play: I have suffered a coronavirus, and although I was ill in a mild form, you can still feel it. It's not so easy to come back after a month and a half at my age. So I'm trying to get in shape.

But, someday, I will definitely come back; I have a family in Minsk. Of course, I can be illegally detained again, but I try to live for the present and not think about the future. I give interviews and talk about what is happening because it is really scary, and you cannot remain silent.

- When your grandchildren ask you what happened in 2020, how would you describe this year to them?

(This answer may seem planned, but Alena began to answer immediately, although she had not previously seen the questions - ed.).

- The year 2020 is the revival of the Belarusian nation. The rebirth of a nation that had lost itself for a long time; people did not know who they were; they did not have inner strength. And now, the nation has revived so much; one can feel strength, might, will; people stand up and fight for their rights. Therefore, this year - no matter how difficult it may be - will be memorable for me.

This is the year when we found out who our neighbors are, with whom we live. We got to know ourselves better and realized how cool we are, realized that we deserve freedom. Therefore, for me, this year will be associated with the liberation of the Belarusian nation. I am now more proud than ever to be Belarusian, - said Leuchanka.