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Martina Navratilova has demanded the return of American basketball star Brittney Griner from Russia.
The legal team of Griner has recently claimed that she was transferred to a Russian penal colony. A penal colony is where prisoners are sent to be separated from the rest of the population by placing them in an isolated and remote location.
Navratilova took to social media in reaction to the news, calling it awful and demanding her release.
"This is just awful… bring Brittney home , please!!!!" she tweeted.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Griner was found guilty on August 4 after vape canisters carrying hashish oil in her baggage were discovered by the police at an airport in Moscow. Though she admitted that the canisters were in the luggage, she claimed that she had accidentally packed them. Her legal team had also submitted evidence that she had been prescribed hashish.
"Women get the short straw again, and I am sick of it" -Martina Navratilova on transgender players contesting alongside women
Martina Navratilova, who came out as a lesbian in 1981 and has since advocated for LGBT rights, believes that transgender people should not be competing alongside women in professional sports.
The 18-time Grand Slam champion expressed her thoughts on the Canadian Center for Ethics in Sport (CCES) report on the benefits and drawbacks that transgender athletes may experience when competing against women in professional sports.
The study points out that there is insufficient data on whether trans women athletes may have an edge over women before and after hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This assumption is based on research on sedentary trans women and cis men rather than trans women athletes; hence, the findings cannot be used to argue against trans women athletes participating in competitive sports.
Navratilova has long been outspoken about the need to prohibit transgender athletes from participating in sports since they have an unfair edge over the opposite gender. According to her, the report may not be factual as it showed no advantage and asked CCES to include the benefits in the report.
"Could be because the report is wrong. The advantages are obvious even with mitigation. Prove there is no advantage and then include, not the other way around. Women get the short straw again and I am sick of it!" she tweeted.
