Iran women players thank Australian government for protection
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Fatemeh Pasandideh (left) and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh have been training with A-League Women club Brisbane Roar since March.
PHOTOS: AFP, REUTERS
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MELBOURNE – Iranian women’s football players Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh thanked the Australian government on April 17 for offering a “safe haven” and said they wished to resume their sporting careers after rebuilding their lives.
In their first public comments since being granted humanitarian visas, the players said in a statement that the compassion and support shown to them had provided them hope for a future where they could live and compete in safety.
“We wish to express our deepest gratitude to the Australian government, and particularly Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, for granting us humanitarian protection and a safe haven in this beautiful country,” they said.
Australia initially granted humanitarian visas to six players and one support staff member from the Iranian squad, after their Asian Cup campaign began on the Gold Coast just as the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran.
Five of the group subsequently changed their minds and decided to return home, leaving only Pasandideh and Ramezanisadeh in Australia.
The duo began training with A-League Women club Brisbane Roar in March.
“At this stage, our primary focus is on our safety, our health and beginning the process of rebuilding our lives,” they added. “We are elite athletes, and it remains our dream to continue our sporting careers here in Australia.”
Their statement was also shared by the Roar, who had invited the pair to train with them.
The Guardian reported that, at the time, Roar chief executive Kaz Patafta said the offer was about “providing a supportive environment for them whilst they navigate the next stages”.
Concerns over the Iranian players’ safety surfaced after several players did not sing the national anthem at an Asian Cup match, with Iranian state TV labelling them “wartime traitors”.
The rest of the team arrived home in Iran in March via the Turkish border after a fraught return journey from Australia.
Pasandideh and Ramezanisadeh also acknowledged the help that they had received from the Iranian community in Australia.
“We are overwhelmed by the warmth and generosity of the Iranian diaspora community in Australia,” they said. “Your support has made us feel welcome and less alone as we navigate this transition.” REUTERS
