Iranian womens football team arrives in eastern Turkey

Iranian Women’s Football Team Arrives in Eastern Turkey on Way Home

The Iranian women’s national football team has arrived in eastern Turkey after completing their journey from Australia. The team landed in Istanbul on Tuesday evening and departed for Igdir, a city located approximately 100km southeast of the border with Iran.

According to reports, the players wore Iranian national team tracksuits as they exited the airport and proceeded to the Gurbulak-Bazargan crossing. The team had been competing in the Asian Cup before returning to Australia, where seven members of the delegation initially sought asylum after being criticized for refusing to sing the national anthem.

However, five of the players later withdrew their asylum bids, leaving only two in Australia. In a statement on X, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Iranian parliament speaker, expressed support for the team’s return, stating that they were “children of the homeland” and that the people of Iran welcomed them back.

The team’s journey took them through Oman and Malaysia before arriving in Turkey. The players’ decision to return home has been met with varying reactions from rights groups, who have accused Iranian authorities of pressuring athletes abroad.

Source: Al Jazeera