Military Sports and the Celebration of the 72nd Anniversary| Sudanow Magazine

Khartoum – Sudanow

The 72nd anniversary of the Sudanese Armed Forces comes this year under exceptional circumstances, as the country wages some of its fiercest battles against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their supporters. This anniversary coincides with significant gains on the ground and notable advances by the Army and its allied forces in Kordofan, as they work to defeat RSF elements who have been suffering mounting losses in the face of carefully planned military operations and the surprise tactics consistently employed by the Armed Forces and their allies.

The celebration of the Sudanese Armed Forces’ 72nd anniversary carries with it a long history of sacrifice and selflessness, extending from the colonial era to the present day in confronting internal and external threats. Under complex and challenging circumstances, members of the Armed Forces have given their lives in defense of national sovereignty, the dignity of the country and its people. Across successive periods, the Sudanese Army has fought numerous battles and demonstrated military expertise consistent with its long-standing history. Today, it continues to advance from one achievement to another, moving from one area to the next and securing successive victories with determination and courage.

Amid these events and this long history of sacrifice, the Sudanese Armed Forces have also contributed their expertise to a wide range of other fields, without abandoning their responsibilities in different areas of national life—including the economic, social and sporting spheres.

In sport, the Armed Forces have produced champions of a different kind: athletes who raised the Sudanese flag and won medals at international and regional competitions, earning recognition for their excellence and outstanding performances. Sudan has also hosted various military sporting championships, most recently the 2022 swimming championship, in which Abu Bakr Abbas Jalab won first place in the 100-meter breaststroke.

The Military Sports Branch stands out whenever the role of sport within the Sudanese Armed Forces is discussed. As a major institution and the sporting arm of the Armed Forces, it has contributed significantly to Sudan’s achievements in military sports through sponsorship, partnerships with sports federations, and efforts to develop sporting talent.

This naturally leads to athletics, which has produced a number of military champions who achieved international recognition. Among them was Khalifa Omer, who carried the Olympic flame in 1986, marking the opening of the global sporting event, and who was ranked among the world’s top three runners.

Another prominent name is Al-Kashif Hassan, who won the gold medal in the 400 meters at the 1976 World Athletics Championships in Montreal.

The sporting memory of Sudan will also preserve the name of First Sergeant Air Defense Abu Bakr Kaki, an athletics icon who became the youngest athlete in the world to win an indoor 800-meter gold medal, in addition to his gold medal at the Bislett Games in Oslo.

There is also Ismail Ahmed Ismail, who helped bring Sudan into the Olympic medal ranks when he won the silver medal in the 800 meters at the Beijing Olympics. High jumper Mohamed Younis, along with other military athletes, also contributed to raising Sudan’s flag at international sporting events.

At the level of team sports, the Armed Forces became a destination for some of Sudan’s brightest football and volleyball stars. Their competitions attracted large crowds, making the Military Units League one of the strongest domestic leagues in the country for a period of time.

This year, the sporting scene is once again set to witness the launch of a military football championship as part of the celebrations marking the 72nd anniversary of the Sudanese Armed Forces.

Military sports have never been separated from Sudan’s broader sporting movement. They have remained closely connected to it, producing numerous prominent figures, both as athletes and administrators, who later assumed senior positions within Sudanese sporting institutions. They carried with them the values of discipline, commitment and respect, enriching the sporting institutions they joined.

As a result, any sporting organization that included a military figure was often regarded as deserving of a special level of confidence—confidence rooted in the respected standing of the Sudanese Armed Forces in the hearts of the Sudanese people.

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