Gaza Sunbirds: Para-cyclists Pedal Through Adversity for Paralympic Dreams

The Gaza Sunbirds, a para-cycling organization founded by Alaa al-Daly and Karim Ali, has faced numerous challenges in their quest to compete in the Paralympic Games. Despite setbacks, the team continues to inspire and represent Palestine on the global stage.

Daly, 27, co-founded the Sunbirds after losing his leg during the Great March of Return protests in 2018. These demonstrations, which lasted from March 2018 to December 2019, saw thousands of Palestinians demanding the right to return to ancestral lands from which they were displaced in 1948. The protests resulted in numerous casualties, with the Gaza Health Ministry reporting almost 8,000 Palestinians shot with live ammunition.

"I went peacefully with my bicycle and national team jersey. I'm sure they shot me in the leg on purpose because they saw I was an athlete on my bike. It was extremely tough for me, losing a leg, but they only made me more persistent."

The Sunbirds have faced significant obstacles training in Gaza due to the ongoing blockade, which began in 2007. The restrictions have severely impacted the enclave's economy and living conditions. Despite these challenges, the team, which includes about 50 male athletes with disabilities aged 10 to 50, continued to train and hope for international representation.

The current conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, has further complicated the Sunbirds' situation. The war has displaced team members, destroyed training facilities, and created dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Despite these hardships, the Sunbirds have provided aid to over 90,000 Palestinians during the conflict.

In April 2024, three Sunbirds - Daly, Mohamed Asfour, and Waheed Rabah - managed to escape to Egypt. With limited training time, they attempted to qualify for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, which began on August 28, 2024. Unfortunately, their bid was unsuccessful, likely due to insufficient preparation during the war.

Daly then applied for a solo invitation through the International Paralympic Committee's Bipartite Commission but was ultimately not selected. Despite this setback, he remains determined to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Paralympics.

The Gaza Sunbirds' story is intertwined with the broader context of the region's challenges. The ongoing conflict has exacerbated Gaza's amputee crisis, with UNICEF reporting over 1,000 Palestinian children undergoing amputations in the first two months of the current war alone.

As the team looks to the future, their goals extend beyond athletic achievement. Ali emphasizes, "The Paralympics was a dream, our North Star, but it wasn't the reason why we did what we did. We just need this war to end. We need freedom. We need peace."

The Sunbirds' journey reflects the resilience of Palestinian athletes and the power of sport to inspire hope amidst adversity. As para-cycling continues to gain recognition, with the sport first introduced to the Paralympics in 1984, the Gaza Sunbirds aim to pedal their way to future success and raise awareness about the Palestinian cause on the global stage.