Another three members of the Iran’s women’s soccer team who accepted refugee visas to stay in Australia have decided to return to their homeland, an Australian government minister said on Sunday.

The departure leaves three of an initial seven squad members in Australia.

“Overnight, three members of the Iranian Women’s Football Team made the decision to join the rest of the team on their journey back to Iran,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement.

“After telling Australian officials they had made this decision, the players were given repeated chances to talk about their options,” Burke added.

Iran’s team arrived in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup last month, before the war in the Middle East began on Feb. 28.

Initially, six players and a support staff member from a squad list of 26 players accepted humanitarian visas to stay in Australia before the rest of the Iranian contingent flew from Sydney to Malaysia on March 9.

Another later changed her mind and left Australia. Three left Sydney for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Saturday night, a government official said. The rest of the team has remained in Kuala Lumpur since they left Australia.

Iran’s Tasnim News Agency said the latest three to leave Australia were two players and the support staff member. The three were “returning to the warm embrace of their family and homeland,” the news outlet said in a statement.

Concerns about the team’s safety in Iran heightened when the players didn’t sing the Iranian national anthem before their first match.

The Australian government was urged to help the woman by Iranian groups in Australia and by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Iranian news agency described the women’s return to the team as the “disgraceful failure of the American-Australian project and another failure for Trump.

Max Dowman, a 16-year-old Arsenal winger, became the Premier League’s youngest ever scorer with a remarkable stoppage-time goal in his team’s 2-0 win over Everton.

Dowman collected the ball midway in his own half, dribbled around two Everton players and raced clear unchallenged from the halfway line to tap into an empty net, with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford stranded upfield having gone forward for a corner.

An English soccer prodigy, Dowman – at 16 years, 73 days – was playing just his third Premier League match after two previous substitute appearances at the start of the season.

“He doesn’t seem to be fazed by the occasion or the moment or the context or the opponent, he just plays so naturally,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “He makes decisions to make things happen, and what he delivered was incredible.” 
Asked what he said to Dowman after deciding to bring him on, Arteta replied: “Go and do your thing and win us the game.” 
Dowman broke the record of former Everton player James Vaughan, who was 16 years, 270 days when he scored against Crystal Palace in 2005.

In November, Dowman became the youngest player in Champions League history at 15 years, 308 days when he entered as a second-half substitute against Slavia Prague. 

Dowman is still in school. He was 14 when he was asked by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to train with the senior team in December last year and he starred on the club’s preseason tour of Asia in matches against AC Milan and Newcastle.

To abide by Premier League regulations for players under 18, Dowman has to change into his Arsenal kit for training sessions and matches in a separate locker room than his senior teammates.

List of Premier League’s youngest scorers 
1. Max Dowman: 16 years, 73 days (for Arsenal against Everton on 2026) 
2. James Vaughan: 16 years, 270 days (for Everton against Crystal Palace in 2005) 
3. James Milner: 16 years, 356 days (for Leeds against Sunderland in 2002) 
4. Wayne Rooney: 16 years, 360 days (for Everton against Arsenal in 2002)

Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh, and R Praggnanandhaa with sister R Vaishali (Photos by Andrei Anosov and Michal Walusza/FIDE)

NEW DELHI: Even as Koneru Humpy’s potential withdrawal from the Candidates tournament in Cyprus over the Iran war raised concerns, India’s next-gen trio of Divya Deshmukh, R Vaishali and R Praggnanandhaa are set to compete in the prestigious tournament later this month.Concerns of a wider pullout have been put to rest, as TimesofIndia.com can confirm that all three are proceeding with their preparations despite the geopolitical tensions in the region.

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Divya, 20, qualified for Women’s Candidates by clinching the FIDE Women’s World Cup in 2025 in Batumi, defeating Koneru Humpy in a thrilling tiebreak to become the first Indian woman to win the title. The victory also earned her the GM title as she became the fourth female Grandmaster from India. Will Divya Deshmukh, Vaishali, and Praggnanandhaa also skip?Despite the whispers of withdrawal, a source close to Deshmukh told TimesofIndia.com: “As of now, we have decided that Divya will go and play. As these things develop, we will monitor the situation and decide afterwards. But at this moment, she will play.”It is also understood that Deshmukh’s camp is busy planning her travel and stay. Similarly, R Vaishali and R Praggnanandhaa are proceeding with their plans to participate in the Candidates.“Have they told publicly that they are not playing? Since Koneru Humpy is potentially not playing, it doesn’t mean that Pragg and Vaishali are not playing. It means only Koneru Humpy is not playing,” RB Ramesh, long-time mentor to both Vaishali and Praggnanandhaa, told this website.“My position is not to judge anyone’s decision. Everyone is free to make their own decision, and that should be respected. If Humpy’s position is not to play, it is fine.”Koneru Humpy unsure of ParticipationOn Monday, Indian Grandmaster (GM) Humpy had revealed she could potentially skip the Candidates tournament, starting March 28. In an interview with the Hindustan Times, she had said, “It just does not make any sense. It is dangerous to travel anywhere near West Asia at this point when there is so much tension and uncertainty. The war started around a fortnight ago, it is still ongoing, and the tournament is less than two weeks away.”A drone strike on a British air base in Cyprus on March 1 also raised worries about security. With European warships and Turkish fighter jets guarding the island, questions have emerged about whether Cyprus is the right place to host such an important chess event.“Our plans haven’t changed. We are in the final stages of preparing the Candidates’ Tournament. Of course, we are monitoring the situation. Cyprus isn’t too far from, let us say, the war zone or conflict zone, but at the same time, it’s not involved in any way and isn’t in a state of war,” Emil Sutovsky, CEO of FIDE, told ChessBase India.“There is no emergency or anything like that. Of course, about 10 days ago, there was some worrying news, but since then, the situation has appeared quite calm.”The road to Candidates 2026 for Praggnanandhaa-Vishali While Praggnanandhaa qualified for the open section of the Candidates after winning the 2025 FIDE Circuit, his elder sister Vaishali secured her spot by winning the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss last year.After a disastrous run at the Chennai Grand Masters Challengers, where she suffered seven straight losses and managed just two draws, Vaishali nearly pulled out of Grand Swiss.“It might sound funny, but after Chennai, I decided not to play Grand Swiss,” the 24-year-old told ChessBase later in an interview. “I felt so bad. Losing seven games in a row was hard to recover from.”Encouraged by coach RB Ramesh, mentor Karthikeyan Murali, and her brother Praggnanandhaa, she eventually competed in Samarkand, where she defended her Women’s Grand Swiss title to qualify.Reigning world champion D Gukesh recently admitted he would like to have an all-Indian showdown at the World Championship later this year. “Personally, I would like to face Pragg. It would be an Indian clash, and it would be great for the Indian fans,” Gukesh recently told ChessBase India.With the Candidates being the only gateway to the World Championship, skipping the event is a risk these young stars appear unwilling to take.

Bengaluru FC held league leaders Mohun Bagan Super Giant to a goalless draw in an Indian Super League match here on Saturday.

Despite Mohun Bagan enjoying the majority of possession and creating numerous chances, Bengaluru FC produced a resolute defensive performance to become the first team this season to take points off the Mariners.

Mohun Bagan remain at the top of the table with 13 points, while Bengaluru FC move to sixth with eight points. Dimitri Petratos was adjudged the Player of the Match.

The contest began at a lively tempo with the Blues applying early pressure.

Ryan Williams tested Vishal Kaith in just the second minute, forcing the Mohun Bagan goalkeeper into a low save after being set up by right-back Roshan Singh.

Mohun Bagan responded soon after. Maclaren’s effort from the left side of the box was well saved by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the eighth minute, while midfielder Dimitri Petratos fired narrowly wide from distance a minute later.

The Mariners gradually settled into the game and began to dominate possession.

Petratos saw another effort blocked in the 14th minute, while the Blues’ right winger Ashique Kuruniyan tried his luck from long range for Bengaluru but failed to hit the target.

Despite both teams creating opportunities, neither side was able to find the finishing touch as the first half ended goalless.

Bengaluru resumed the second half with renewed intent.

Midfielder Sirojiddin Kuziev tested Kaith with a long-range effort in the 48th minute, while Bagan responded through centre-back Alberto Rodriguez whose close-range effort was saved by Gurpreet just after the hour mark. 

The hosts came closest to breaking the deadlock in the 63rd minute when Chhetri found space inside the box, but his attempt was blocked by Anirudh Thapa before captain Subhasish Bose made another crucial interception to deny the follow-up effort.

Bengaluru continued to threaten from distance, with Roshan and Kuziev both forcing the Mariners defence into action within minutes.

At the other end, Maclaren nearly found the breakthrough in the 71st minute but was denied by a timely block from Roshan.

Both coaches introduced changes in search of a late winner.

Substitute Monirul Molla tried his luck from distance in the 81st minute but sent his effort wide. Gurpreet then produced another outstanding save two minutes later to deny Rodriguez’s header from close range.

Despite a combined 23 shots in the match, neither side could find the decisive goal.