Australian official touts bravery of Iranian women’s soccer team as some receive asylum

At least six members of the Iranian women’s soccer team decided to stay in Australia and seek asylum instead of going back to their home country where they face war and the possibility of even worse if they decide to go back.Five of the six members of the team were granted asylum on Tuesday. Two others were also seeking asylum, but one of them changed their minds. There were more than 20 members of the team who came to Australia to compete in the Women’s Asian Cup.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMTina Kordrostami, a councilor for the city of Ryde in Australia, told Fox News in an interview on Wednesday the reason why most of the girls decided to go back was because of their families.”So, their family is the No. 1 reason that the girls want to go back home and the No. 1 thing they’re worried and scared about,” she said. “The second thing, as I mentioned, is all they have is in Iran, and they are fearful of their identity and losing anything that they have built over the last few years for it.”I know for a fact that they don’t want to be living there. They are passionate athletes. They are women who, you know, have so much to say about their identity and who they are. And because they are in the public eye within Iran, they are restricted even more than others. No logical person would want to remain in that country, especially if they have the option to stay. You know, they had it so close that it was offered to them. And they were so close to having everything that they wanted. And yet they still chose their family over their own, live their own future.”The team arrived in Australia before Israel and the U.S. launched a joint offensive against Iran on Feb. 28. The strikes led to the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.Iranian players refused to sing their national anthem before an opening loss to South Korea last Monday, which was viewed by some as an act of resistance, which was dubbed by an Iranian commentator as the “pinnacle of dishonor.” The team didn’t clarify. But the players sang the anthem and saluted before their losses to Australia and the Philippines.MORE IRANIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER PERSONNEL ACCEPT ASYLUM IN AUSTRALIA AMID THREAT OF PUNISHMENT IN HOME COUNTRYAs their time in the tournament came to an end, the possibility of at least some of the players applying for a humanitarian visa became a reality.Kordrostami told Fox News she believed the Australian government could have done more.”Here’s one thing that I believe the government should have done: they, immediately, after the first game, should have entered the girls’ hotel, they should have sat down with them,” she said. “Dismissing all of the security, all of the personnel they had there with them, with official key figures within our government as well. They should have sat down with these girls, and they should have laid everything out for them.”They should have reached out to the diaspora and gotten all the contacts from the families. They should for all