One of the seven players on the Iranian football team who had received humanitarian asylum in the country has changed her mind, says the Australian Government.
This Tuesday, five footballers expressed their desire to remain in Australia for security reasons and received humanitarian visas. Subsequently, a player and a member of the technical team also accepted the offer of protection.
A The situation of female football players had raised concerns after they did not sing the national anthem in the first game of the Asian Cupwhich provoked criticism from Iranian state television, which called them “traitors” in times of war.
But Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said today that one of the players changed her mind and contacted the Iranian Embassy in Australia asking to be collected.
Something that led to the revelation of the location of the seven Iranian asylum seekers, until then kept secret for security reasons.
Burke indicated that following this decision, the other applicants wishing to remain in Australia were transferred “immediately” to another location to ensure their safety.
A spokesperson for the Asian Football Confederation told the EFE news agency that the Iranian women’s team is in Malaysia.
As Football players, who left on Tuesday night on a flight from the Australian city of Sydney, are meeting at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, the spokesman said.
“The Asian Football Confederation will provide all necessary support to the team during their stay [na Malásia] until preparations for the next trip are confirmed”, a spokesperson for the entity told EFE, without specifying what the next destination will be.
The confederation representative stressed that the priority is “the well-being and safety” of the players, calling on the media to respect the privacy of the delegation members.
