Iranâs soccer team lost its last group match at the Womenâs Asian Cup on Sunday and had to contemplate returning home to a country embroiled in war.
The Iranian womenâs squad arrived in Australia for the continental championship last month, before the war that began with the U.S. and Israelâs 28 February strikes on Iran. Teams ousted during the group stage usually depart within days.
Their silence during the anthem before an opening loss to South Korea last Monday was viewed by some as an act of resistance and others as a show of mourning. The team hasn’t clarified. But the players sang the national anthem and saluted during the national anthem ahead of their 4-0 loss to Australia last Thursday and a 2-0 loss to the Philippines on Sunday.
Amid concerns for player welfare following reported criticism in the Iranian media, the Australian Iranian Council wrote to Australiaâs home affairs minister Tony Burke, urging the government to protect the squad members while theyâre in Australia.
It launched an online petition, which had more than 50,000 electronic signatures before kick-off on Sunday, urging Australian authorities to âensure that no member of Iranâs womenâs national football team is to depart Australia while credible fears for their safety remainâ and also to provide independent legal advice, support and interpreters.
Iran team management and players have mostly declined to comment on the situation at home during more than a week preparing for and playing games on Australiaâs Gold Coast, although Iran forward Sara Didar choked back tears in a news conference last Wednesday as she shared their concerns for their families, friends and all Iranians during the conflict.
The online petition asked local authorities to ensure any player seeking protection âcan do so safely, privately, and without interferenceâ and to âmake clear that Australia will uphold its ⌠humanitarian protection obligations in relation to any player at risk of persecution or serious harm.
âWhere credible evidence exists that visiting athletes may face persecution, imprisonment, coercion, or worse upon return, silence is not a neutral position,” it said. âThe current wartime environment has intensified repression, fear, and the risks faced by anyone publicly perceived by the Islamic Republic as disloyal.â
Foreign minister Penny Wong declined to comment on whether the Australian government had made contact with individuals but told domestic media Australia stood in solidarity with the Iranian women’s team.
âIt has been really moving for Australians to see them in Australia, and (Australia’s women’s team) swapping jerseys with them was a very evocative moment,â Wong told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Sunday. âWe know this regime has brutally oppressed many Iranian women.â
Iranian Australian activist Tina Kordrostami, a local government member in Sydneyâs Ryde Council, told The Australian newspaper the Iranian players âneed an opportunity, a safe space, a chance to actually speak up about what their needs are and what their Ârequirements are.â
âWe canât give them that space without the government helping us,â she said.
The Iranian women’s team needed to beat the Philippines on Sunday to maintain any chance of advancing to the Asian Cup quarterfinals, which would have extended its stay in Australia for more than another week, but conceded goals to Sara Eggesvik in the 29th minute and Chandler McDaniel in the 82nd minute in a tough loss in wet conditions at Gold Coast Stadium.
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