Ahmed al-Ahmed, Bondi Beach hero who took down shooter, honoured before final Ashes Test in Sydney | Watch

Ahmed al-Ahmed walked with other responders with his right arm in a sling. The cricketers of both the teams were lined up to honour the community heroes.

Published on: Jan 4, 2026, 20:49:42 IST

By HT News Desk

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Ahmed al-Ahmed, the Australian resident who took on the shooter during Bondi Beach shooting, received cheers and applause from a packed Sydney Cricket Ground before the start of the final Ashes Test on Sunday.

Ahmed al-Ahmed, who took down the shooter during Bondi Beach, shooting was honoured along with other responders and emergency service personnel.

Before the cricket game between England and Australia on Sunday, the crowd in Sydney stood up for the emergency service personnel and members of the public who responded to the Bondi Beach shooting last month during Jewish Hanukkah celebration, in which 15 people were killed.

While the crowd honoured the emergency service personnel and responders of the mass shooting — worst in Australia's recent history — the biggest cheer was for Ahmed al-Ahmed.

Also Read: Who is Ahmed al Ahmed? Bondi Beach ‘hero’ who tackled armed man hit by two bullets, undergoing surgery

Al-Ahmed walked with other responders with his left arm in a sling. The cricketers of both the teams were lined up to honour the community heroes.

He was also joined by 14-year-old Chaya Dadon, who was also shot in the leg while shielding two young children from gunfire. She arrived at the stadium on crutches.

Australian players Alex Carey and Cameron Green were among those who applauded al-Ahmed and Dadon as they walked to the stadium.

On December 14, when two shooters, Sajid and Naveed Akram, started firing at thousands of people who had gathered at the Bondi Beach on a busy weekend, Ahmed al-Ahmed, the 43-year-old fruit shop owner tackled one of the shooters and managed to snatch the gun from him.

Also Read: After Bondi Beach shooting, Australian lawmakers approve sweeping new gun laws

The heroic act, captured on camera, instantly made Ahmed a hero in Australia and won hearts across the globe.

Al-Ahmed, an Australian citizen of Syrian descent, moved to the country in 2006. He was having lunch when the shooting began. He was wounded and hospitalised after the shooting incident.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had termed his actions an example of “Australians coming together”.

US President Donald Trump also lauded his bravery, saying, "It's been a very, very brave person, actually, who went and attacked frontally one of the shooters, and saved a lot of lives."

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HT News Desk
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