Sultan Kigab

Sultan Kigab
Abd al-Majid Sultan Kigab (born 1955), also known as Sultan Kigab, is a former Sudanese-Canadian marathon swimmer and presidential candidate.
Early life and education
Abd al-Majid Sultan Muhammad Salih Kigab was born in 1955 in Al-Ghaba district, in the Northern State, Sudan to Sultan Muhammed Salih. He studied secondary school at and Evangelical schools. He studied law at Cairo University, Khartoum branch (today’s Neelain University).
Swimming career
Kigab started his career as a percussionist and choir with , Ishag Karamallah and Zaki Abdul Karim in 1962. But he was a swimmer from a young age. In 1967, he joined the Graduate Club and participated in the short-distance and water polo championship, then he went to long-distance swimming alongside the Fathi Bayram, Huda Hamdi Mona Karrar, and Sara Gadalla Gubara, and proven his worth in endurance and sprint races. In 1969, he was chosen to represent Sudan in the Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli race (36 km) in Italy, along with his colleague Mohamud Mustafa and Fadel Suleiman.
In 1970, he joined the Al-Merrikh swimming club and was the first swimming team in the club. In October of the same year, he represented Sudan in the Latakia International Swimming Race in Syria In 1971.
He was chosen in 1972 to compete at the Flower Show in the Canadian town of Mestine. After that he was invited by Canada to represent Sudan in the Canadian World Championships. He continued to participated in all the next seven Canadian World Championships where he swam the 24-hour relay ace. In 1973, he came 9th, swimming in the La Tuque, Quebec race and 32 (out of 35) overall in the World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation (WPMSF) rankings.
In June 1974, his established and compete in the Jabal Awliya race (50 km), one of the world's longest races, which started from Jabal Awliya dam on the Blue Nile and ends at the TV Building in Omdurman. There, he came first, covering the distance in 13 hours, followed by Salim and Sara Gubara. In the Atbara race (30 km) and 1974 Wad Madani to Um-Sunat (30 km) race where 30 swimmers participated, he came first. In the 1978 race from Wad Nemari to Dongola (30 km), held during the Independence holidays, he also came in the first place. He participated in most of the national swims, Al-Alefon to Khartoum race, Mount Olya, Al-Hudaybah to Atbara, Al-Qamar to Abu Rouf, and the Unity Festival races.
Kigab established the first swimming school for young people in 1975, and the number of those who graduated from swimming schools reached more than 40,000 young people.
In 1975, Kigab claimed to participate in the 100th anniversary of the first English swimmer across the English Channel in 1875 in the English city of Folkestone. In 1978, Kigab was order by President Nimeiry to cross the English Channel, but he gave up from the French cost. Kigab tried again and failed. Yet, Kigab claims crossing the Channel on a different attempt in 11 hours and half.
In 1977, Kigab was ranked 20 (out of 21) on WPMSF ranking after coming 13 (out of 14) on the 10 July race in Chibougamau, Quebec which had a distance of , that he finished in 05:11:10.
On 12 August 1979, he did not finish the Traversée Internationale du lac Memphrémagog in Quebec, Canada. Kigab became a Canadian citizen in 1979.
In 1981, he was ranked 11 (out of 16) on the WPMSF ranking, after coming last in the Luxor, Egypt race which was on 10 May and Port Said race on 2 October, and 11 (out of 12) in La Tuque, Canada race (24 km) which was on 19 July. The final race in Alexandria was cancelled due to the assassination of Anwar Sadat. James Kegley, an Honour Swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, remembers Kigab running to him while screaming "Sadat has been shot!". On 29 July 1984, he participated in the Traversée internationale du lac St-Jean in Quebec, Canada, but did not finish.
Kigab claimed to cross the cold Sagni Lake in 15 hours 3 times. He participated in the Montreal International Swimming Championships 4 times, the Leg Sangan 3 times, the Chicago World Race in Lake Michigan, USA, the Loth Cabot World Race in Mexico, all Egypt's international races - the Nile Race - the Suez Canal Race - the Luxor Race. He crossed Lake Magog, which is located between America and Canada, a distance of 50 km 4 times. He participated in the Iraqi Championship for short distance swimming, which was held in 1994 with his fellow swimmer Majid Talaat Farid, heading the swimming expedition. Throughout his sports career, he won 126 awards, cups, medals, shields, and certificates.
After retirement
After his retirement, Kigab participated in the meetings of the International Olympic Committee in Montreal as a representative of Sudan. He worked as a secretary for the General Local Swimming Federation. He coached swimming in Canada in more than 10 Canadian clubs. He worked as a swimming coach at the Saudi Al-Nasr Swimming Club in 1982.
According to Kigab, he persuaded Muhammad Ali Clay, to visit Sudan in 1988, during which Ali visited refugee camps and to raise awareness about war-induced famine. Islamic Dawa Organization, among others, also claimed to take credit for Ali’s visit.
Kijab and his colleague, journalist Mirghani Abu Shana, prepared the program "Nafhat Al-Sabah*, which was presented . He prepared a program to honour athletes, artists, poets and journalist with Lieutenant General Zubair Mohamed Salih, and they were honoured in the Republican Palace. Kijab, with Mirghani Abu Shana were credited with organizing and holding the to Khartoum bicycle race, in which a thousand riders participated.
Presidential candidacy
In 1996, according to Kigab, he was visiting a relative in Khartoum and while watching the Sudan TV, listing to an interview with Colonel Mohamed Al-Amin Khalifa, then president of the National Transitional Council (1992-1996), talking about the requirements to run elections, for example being an adult, sane, Sudanese citizen, etc.. He found that the conditions apply to him so he went directly to the Elections Commission Headquarters, and met Lieutenant General Abbas Madani, who was in the Elections Committee.
According to Kigab, Kigab told Madani of his desire to run for the presidency, to which Madani replied "Do you want to compete with Al Bashir?!". Kigab replied with "yes". Madani then gave him the candidacy form and asked Kigab to launch his electoral campaign. Kigab went to the leader of the Umma Party, Sadiq al-Mahdi, who agreed to support him. After that Kigab called former President Jaafar Nimeiri, who was in self-imposed exile in Cairo. Nimeiri told Kigab that he would stand with him along with all the Mayans.
Consequently, in the 1996 Sudanese general election, Kigab and 39 other candidates ran against incumbent Omar al-Bashir who came after 1989 Sudanese coup d'état, who emerged victorious with 75.4% of the vote. Opposition groups boycotted the elections, claiming they were unfair. Because of the civil war, no voting took place in 11 Southern districts. Kigab ran as an independent and came second, receiving 133,032 votes, a 2.41% of the total votes. His candidacy was described as a "charade" which he denies.
Personal life
Kigab married to Mashair Suwar al-Dhahab from , Northern State, Sudan. She is the granddaughter of Satti Majid Muhammad al-Qadi Suwar al-Dhahab, who spread Islam in United States in 1904 and spent 30 years converting 250,000 people to Islam. Together they have 2 daughter and 2 sons, Abu Haif, Buthaina, Nazik and Nawaf. Abu Haif, who is best known as Abu Kigab, is a professional basketball player who was key in Canada winning the FIBA Under-19 World Cup in 2017.
Kigab became a Canadian citizen in 1979 and lives between Canada and Sudan. He is known for being a "real showman".
References
External links
1955 births
Sudanese swimmers
Sudanese long-distance swimmers
Neelain University
People from Northern (state)
Living people