Gazan Paracyclists Complete Dublin-Belfast Solidarity Cycle Raising €5,000 for Gaza Sunbirds Team
Two members of the Gaza Sunbirds cycling team, Mohammed Abu Asfour and Alaa al-Dali, have completed a 200km solidarity cycle from Dublin to Belfast, raising approximately €5,000 for the team's training and international competition goals — an event that drew approximately 300 participants and that has become one of the most visible expressions of Irish solidarity with the Palestinian people in the sporting sphere.
Background
The Gaza Sunbirds cycling team was founded in 2020 by Alaa al-Dali and Kareem Ali, two Palestinian athletes who sought to create a platform for disabled cyclists from Gaza to compete at the international level. The team's founding was itself an act of remarkable determination: al-Dali lost his leg after being shot by Israeli forces in 2018, and the creation of the Sunbirds was, in part, a response to that experience — a way of reclaiming agency and purpose through sport.
The team is coached by Mark Rohan, a former Irish Paralympic gold medallist in cycling who has brought his experience of elite para-sport to the development of the Sunbirds' athletes. Rohan's involvement has given the team access to coaching expertise and international networks that would otherwise be beyond their reach, and his commitment to the project reflects a broader tradition of Irish engagement with Palestinian causes that has deep roots in Irish civil society.
The Dublin-Belfast solidarity cycle has become an annual event, growing in scale and visibility each year. The 2025 edition attracted approximately 100 participants; the 2026 edition drew approximately 300 — a threefold increase that reflects both the growing profile of the Gaza Sunbirds and the intensification of Irish public interest in the Palestinian cause following the events of recent years.
Key Developments
The 2026 cycle took place over a weekend, with the 200km route from Dublin to Belfast passing through a series of communities along the way. The event was organised by Irish Sport for Palestine and Cycle for Palestine Ireland, with support from Cycling Ireland. Participants were welcomed by pro-Palestine groups and local communities along the route, with Kareem Ali describing the reception as providing a "home away from home" atmosphere for the Gazan athletes.
The event raised approximately €5,000 for the Gaza Sunbirds team through fundraising efforts and the sale of merchandise. The funds will be used to support the team's training programme and to cover the costs of international competition — including the high visa costs that have been a persistent obstacle to the team's participation in events outside Gaza and the surrounding region.
Following the cycle, the team engaged in further activities in Ireland, including a race at Mondello Park in County Kildare and a visit to Dalymount Park in Dublin. The Mondello race provided an opportunity for the Gazan athletes to compete against Irish para-cyclists in a competitive setting, and the results were encouraging — a demonstration of the level of performance that the team has achieved despite the extraordinary challenges they face.
Why It Matters
The Gaza Sunbirds' visit to Ireland matters for several reasons. First, it is a reminder that sport can be a powerful vehicle for solidarity and for the expression of shared humanity across political and cultural divides. The sight of Palestinian para-cyclists completing a 200km journey from Dublin to Belfast — welcomed by communities along the way, supported by Irish athletes and coaches — is a powerful image that transcends the political complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Second, the event highlights the specific challenges faced by disabled athletes from Gaza, who face not only the physical demands of elite sport but also the logistical and financial barriers created by the blockade of Gaza and the restrictions on movement that affect all Palestinians. The high visa costs cited by the team are a concrete illustration of those barriers — costs that would be trivial for athletes from other countries but that represent a significant obstacle for a team operating with limited resources in a conflict zone.
Third, the involvement of Mark Rohan as coach is a reminder of the tradition of Irish engagement with Palestinian causes that extends across civil society, sport, and politics. Ireland has a long history of solidarity with peoples who have experienced colonialism and dispossession, and that history shapes the response of many Irish people to the Palestinian situation in ways that are not always fully understood by observers from outside the country.
Local Impact
In Dublin and Belfast, the solidarity cycle generated significant media coverage and public interest. The event's route — from the capital of the Republic to the capital of Northern Ireland — carried its own symbolic resonance, connecting two cities that have their own complex histories of division and reconciliation. The welcome extended to the Gazan athletes in communities along the route was, by all accounts, warm and genuine.
For Cycling Ireland, the event provided an opportunity to demonstrate the sport's capacity for social engagement beyond competitive performance. The organisation's support for the event reflects a growing awareness within Irish sport of the role that sporting institutions can play in expressing and reinforcing values of solidarity and inclusion.
What's Next
The Gaza Sunbirds team is targeting the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles as their primary long-term goal. The qualification process for the Paralympics is complex and demanding, and the team will need to continue developing their athletes' performance levels while also navigating the logistical and financial challenges that are a constant feature of their situation. The funds raised by the Dublin-Belfast cycle will contribute to that effort, and the team has indicated that they hope to return to Ireland for a similar event in 2027.
