Gaza Sunbirds
The Gaza Sunbirds are a para-cycling team based in the Gaza Strip. The team was formed in 2020 by Alaa al-Dali and Karim Ali.

 History 
Alaa al-Dali became a cyclist at a young age. In early 2018, he qualified to compete at that year's Asian Games, but was struggling to obtain a permit from the Israeli government to leave the Gaza Strip. In March 2018, he attended the March of Return in his cycling gear to "call for [his] right of return as an athlete unable to leave Gaza". While at the protest, he was shot in the leg by an Israeli sniper, shattering his bone. His leg ultimately had to be amputated. While recovering, he met Karim Ali, and over the next year the duo decided to found a para-cycling project. He also adapted a bicycle so he could continue to ride, and began relearning to ride two months after his amputation.

The Gaza Sunbirds were officially founded in 2020, and had ten members by the end of the year.

By 2023, the group had 20 members and five cycling sessions a week, including a session for teenagers. At one time the group had around 50 members. Due to limited supplies, they were only able to adapt bicycles for riders with lower limb amputations. Most riders do not use prostheses due to the difficulty of obtaining them. The group organized fundraising events to pay for equipment and to raise money for other groups. Some of their group rides were along the coastline or Salah al-Din Road, while others were as long as 55 miles, from the Rafah Border Crossing to the Erez Crossing.

Following the inception of the Israel–Hamas war in 2023, the team began to distribute food to Gaza residents using their bicycles. According to the group, as of May 2024 they have distributed "$140,000 worth of aid, 2,050 meal parcels, 4,900 hot meals and hygiene kits to 500 beneficiaries". The group also worked with Sharek Youth Forum to create a displacement camp in Deir al-Balah.

The war interrupted the team's hopes of competing at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.

 References 

 External links 

 Official website

Category:2020 establishments in the State of Palestine
Category:2020 in the Gaza Strip
Category:Cycling clubs
Category:Disability organizations based in the State of Palestine
Category:Sports clubs and teams in the State of Palestine
Category:Organizations established in 2020
Category:Para-cycling
Category:Sportspeople from the Gaza Strip
Category:Parasports clubs and teams