Menu

5th member of Iran women's soccer team changes mind on asylum in Australia

Reading 0:00
15s threshold

Kuala Lumpur Malaysia — Another member of the Iran women's soccer team who accepted a refugee visa to stay in Australia has decided to return to her homeland, a sport official said Monday. That leaves two of an initial seven squad members who'd accepted asylum as sticking with their original decisions.The Iranian women's soccer team had yet to reveal plans to leave Malaysia when most of the seven squad members who created a diplomatic furor by accepting asylum in Australia a week ago had rejoined their teammates in Kuala Lumpur, the sport official said.The squad flew from Sydney on March 10 after being knocked out of the Women's Asian Cup in Australia, leaving behind six players and a support staff member who had accepted protection visas. Four players and the staffer have since rejoined the team in Kuala Lumpur, the latest flying in on Monday. No reasons have been given for the changes of heart, but the Iranian diaspora in Australia blames pressure from Tehran.…

Continue reading — create a free account

Join HashtagPLUS to read full articles, follow hashtags, vote, and join the conversation.