Sultan Kigab

Abd al-Majid Sultan Kigab (عبدالمجيد سلطان كيجاب; born 1955), also known as Sultan Kigab, is a former Sudanese-Canadian marathon swimmer and presidential candidate.

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).

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 46 mi 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.

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 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 10 mi, that he finished in 05:11:10.

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.

In 1978, Kigab was order by President Nimeiry to cross the English Channel, but he gave up 2 mi from the French cost.

Kigab tried again and failed.

Yet, Kigab claims crossing the Channel on a different attempt in 11 hours and half.

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!".

He worked as a swimming coach at the Saudi Al-Nasr Swimming Club in 1982.

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 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.