In Zurich on Tuesday, the Palestinian flag will fly on the global cycling stage for the first time as the founder of the Gaza Sunbirds takes his place among the best paracyclists in the world
After losing his leg to an Israel i sniper, Alaa al-Dali found his way out of Gaza and into the World Championships
“It will be the first time the Palestinian flag is flown on the international cycling stage,” says Karim Ali, co-founder alongside Dali of the Gaza Sunbirds Paracycling team. “It will be the first time any Palestinian has made it to a competition at this level. It’s an honour to be taking this step. It’s huge.Lions intrigue and lingering heartache make Ireland-England the standout match of the campaign ahead“Alaa only got out of Gaza in April.
The official UN report on the demonstrations found that the IDF deliberately shot at the legs of protesters and that 156 amputations took place as a result. Dali’s was one of them. “Translating is a pretty intimate experience,” Ali says. “You really have to listen to what the person is saying. What emotions are they feeling? What are the exact words or phrases that they use to describe their situation? I felt very close to Alla after translating his story. And as a result of that, I decided I wanted to help him. But I was super young and I didn’t know much about the world.”
“So even if you have a good leg, how good does that leg stay when your entire body weight is on it? And if you’re prone to an crash and you get seen in the hospital or you get partial medical treatment for it, how can you continue to cycle on it? Maybe you can live a regular life with a slight leg injury, but then can you go and do professional sports?”Bit by bit, they built it up. This time last year, the Gaza Sunbirds had 22 athletes, ranging in age from 12 to 50.
Gaza-Strip Israel Palestine Israel-Defence-Forces Israel-Hamas-Conflict
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Israel-Gaza war: At least 40 killed in Israeli missile strike on Gaza humanitarian areaEmergency services said 20 tents caught fire in attack near Khan Younis that Israel said targeted a Hamas command centre
Read more »
Tanks move deeper into Gaza with at least 27 Palestinians killed in latest Israeli strikesBiden presses Netanyahu on securing ceasefire deal to halt 10-month war but Israel and Hamas continue to stick to their demands in talks
Read more »
Tanks move deeper into Gaza with at least 27 Palestinians killed in latest Israeli strikesBiden presses Netanyahu on securing ceasefire deal to halt 10-month war but Israel and Hamas continue to stick to their demands in talks
Read more »
Israeli air strikes leave at least 14 dead in GazaOvernight strikes come ahead of funeral for Turkish-American activist killed by Israeli soldier
Read more »
Gaza: Women and children among 16 killed in latest Israeli air strikes on enclavePolio vaccination coverage for children reaches 90%, says head of UN Palestinian refugee agency amid ongoing war
Read more »
Israeli air strikes kill six UN staff at Gaza school sheltering homelessLatest attacks prompt condemnation from EU’s top diplomat and Arab countries
Read more »