Members of the Iran ladies’s nationwide soccer group who initially accepted humanitarian visas to stay in Australia are persevering with to go away the nation.
Australian authorities confirmed that one other participant departed shortly earlier than midnight on Sunday, lowering the variety of gamers nonetheless in Australia to 2 from the unique group that had accepted refugee visas.
Earlier, two gamers and a group assist employees member had already travelled from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. The Iranian squad had initially travelled to Australia to compete within the AFC Girls’s Asian Cup.
The state of affairs unfolded after a number of members of the 26-player squad accepted humanitarian visas to stay in Australia, whereas the remainder of the group departed for Malaysia on March 10.
One of many gamers later reversed her choice and left Australia, additional lowering the variety of group members staying within the nation.
Considerations in regards to the gamers’ security had grown earlier within the event when the group didn’t sing the nationwide anthem earlier than their opening match, which led to elevated scrutiny and hypothesis about potential repercussions again house.
Iran’s Tasnim Information Company later reported that the gamers who left Australia had been returning to their homeland.
Supporters inside the Iranian diaspora in Australia urged the gamers could have confronted strain whereas deciding whether or not to stay overseas or return.
For now, two members of the squad stay in Australia whereas the remainder of the Iranian group continues to remain in Kuala Lumpur.
