Iran’s women’s football team returns home after a high-profile asylum bid in Australia, with a state welcome planned amid accusations of pressure from both sides.
GÜRBULAK BORDER CROSSING: The Iranian women’s football team returned to Iran on Wednesday after a journey that saw seven members briefly seek asylum in Australia.
Their return followed a controversial decision not to sing the national anthem before a match at the Women’s Asian Cup last week.
Five of those who initially sought protection, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, later changed their minds and rejoined the team. Two delegation members have remained in Australia after being granted asylum.
READ MORE: Iranian women’s football team member changes mind on asylum in Australia
The rest of the squad travelled back via Malaysia, Oman, and Turkey before crossing the land border into Iran at Gurbulak. AFP reporters saw the team enter on a bus wearing national team tracksuits, with their hair covered.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf praised the team’s return in a post on social media platform X. He said the players had “disappointed the enemies (of Iran) and did not surrender to deception and intimidation by anti-Iran elements.”
State news agency Mehr published images of a small welcome party with flags on the Iranian side of the border. The team and staff were shown seated on a stage with a red carpet.
“We have all gathered here to say well done and to express our appreciation,” said Mehdi Taj, president of Iran’s Football Federation. He added, “Although they are women, they showed manly courage and strength.”
A larger official welcoming ceremony is scheduled for Thursday evening in Tehran’s Valiasr Square, a site used for recent pro-government rallies. The team’s silence during the anthem before their opening match in Australia was widely seen as an act of defiance.
This act prompted an Iranian state TV presenter to brand the players “wartime traitors,” raising fears for their safety if they returned home. Five players, including the captain, subsequently left their team hotel to claim asylum in Australia on March 10.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed the government had engaged in secret talks with the players, who were moved to a safe house. Iranian authorities have accused Australia of pressuring the athletes to defect.
Activists have accused Iran of pressuring the players’ families, including summoning parents for interrogation. Rights groups allege Tehran systematically threatens athletes abroad by targeting their relatives’ property.
The Sun Malaysia
