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The Gaza Sunbirds team on the cycle fro Dublin to Belfast. Left to right: Ala’a Aldali, Karim Ali, and Mohammed Abu Asfour. Fidelma Bonass
Gaza sunbirds
'Like a home away from home': Gazan paracyclists on their Dublin-Belfast charity spin
Ireland is a ‘key country’ for the Gaza Sunbirds as they begin their Paralympic bid.
TWO GAZAN PARACYCLISTS are in Ireland for the first time and have cycled from Dublin to Belfast to raise awareness for the Palestinian cause.
Mohammed Abu Asfour and Ala’a Aldali of the Gaza Sunbirds cycled 200km over the weekend with an entourage of around 300 Irish cyclists making the journey in solidarity with Palestine.
Karim Ali, co-founder of the Gaza Sunbirds, said that the cycle showed “how powerful sport can be to connect people”.
“Every single town came out and welcomed us, which was awesome,” he told The Journal.
“There were some lovely receptions along the way, and everyone cooked and baked.
“It was just such a lovely community-type thing, the kids were out.”
“They were welcoming us just as people, of course, but they were also welcoming us as athletes… That was something that was very beautiful to feel.”
Ali cycled the route for the second time this year, with many more people joining this year than last.
“Hopefully, next year is even better. We bring more people out,” he said.
Ali founded the Gaza Sunbirds in 2020 with Aldali, two years after Aldali, Palestine’s national champion cyclist, had his leg amputated after being shot by Israeli forces during a peaceful demonstration.
Aldali had never been allowed to leave the Gaza Strip to race internationally, and he kept getting visa rejections, Ali told The Journal.
“He was trying for six years, and finally, in 2018, he had the chance to go and compete in the Asian Games in Jakarta.”
Two months before the competition while on his way to cycling training, Aldali stopped at the Great March of Return in Gaza.
“With his bike in his hand, he was shot by an Israeli sniper,” Ali said.
“It was an explosive bullet. It was outlawed after the First World War, and he was rejected medical leave, and then he had to get an amputation.”
Ali said he met Aldali after being asked to translate a short documentary on the athlete, and found him to be “inspirational”.
Since their formation, the team has moved from strength to strength, competing in all three paracycling world cups this year, and earning over five times the number of points for Palestine than in 2025.
They also qualified for the world championships, but cannot attend as the visas are prohibitively expensive.
“It’s a bit of a tricky situation. The visas were going to cost us $10,000 (€9,000) per head to make the application… and the crazy part is that’s with a 30% discount.”
They have now set their sights on the 2028 Paralympics in LA, which Ali said is “the dream”.
Irish former Paralympian Mark Rohan, who won gold for Ireland twice in the 2012 Paralympic games, has been coaching the team for around two years.
“I’m really happy that the guys got to come and experience Ireland and got to learn more about the culture and the history,” Ali said.
“Ireland is a home away from home. The people here really understand the Palestinian cause and have a lot of empathy.
“Ireland is a key country for us to want to build relationships with.”
It has been a busy time for the Gaza Sunbirds since they returned from Belfast. Last night, they competed in a race at Mondello Park, and today they are visiting Dalymount Park, home ground of Bohemian FC.
They will finish off their time in Ireland with a social cycle around Dublin.
The Dublin to Belfast cycle raised around €5,000 this year and was organised by Irish Sport for Palestine and Cycle for Palestine Ireland, with support from Cycling Ireland.
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