Sudanese Wrestling: Heritage, Culture, and Identity
13 July, 2025
In Sudan, wrestling is known by the prevalent name "Al-Siraa'" (the struggle) and the more specific "Nuba Wrestling." Its history dates back over two hundred years before Christ, to the great Kingdom of Kush. Wrestling is not just a sport; it's a (heritage and culture) for the people of Nuba Mountains. They became renowned for this sport, culture, and tradition, which has been passed down through generations to its current form. Wrestling in Sudan is linked to special events and occasions. Children are taught this culture and heritage from a young age, specifically from seven to fourteen years old. Learning its rules is mostly undertaken by maternal uncles ("Al-Akhwal") or the maternal uncle, as they are considered closest to the children, based on the saying, "The nephew is like his maternal uncle."
Why the Nuba Mountains?
Many factors have contributed to the distinctiveness of the Nuba Mountains people in wrestling. The environment itself plays a significant role in producing an unparalleled wrestler. For instance, drawing water from wells strengthens arm muscles and hands, while walking long distances behind livestock strengthens leg muscles. Similarly, ascending and descending mountains, along with their unique diet, all contribute to building a strong physique. The lack of luxury in the Nuba Mountains further reinforces these reasons, as most of their time is spent tending to livestock or engaging in wrestling, especially on moonlit nights. When a child grows strong and reaches 14 years of age, they enter competitions at the village or regional level. Once they excel, they are taken to nearby areas for competitions with peers in neighboring Nuba Mountains villages, then move on to major competitions during harvest festivals and weddings. In all Nuba Mountains, both Eastern and Western, wrestling is a constant feature, a "culture, identity, and heritage" for all the Nuba Mountains people, with minor differences in the practice of the sport between the Eastern and Western Mountains regarding rules, until a unified law was finally agreed upon to govern the sport between competitors.
The Tribe's Champion
Professor Allajabo Suleiman Kabo, President of the Sudanese Wrestling Federation and Executive Committee Member of the African Wrestling Federation, told Sudanow: "When you grow up, become strong, and emerge as a champion through strong performances in all competitions, you become the "emblem of your tribe". The tribe celebrates you during special events when the elder families and the tribe gather. You are the one who raises the tribe's flag and emblem at celebrations. The champion is prepared for the celebration in a closed camp, refraining from contact with women. Specialized food, consisting of meat, sesame, and some other ingredients, is provided through a small window. Kabo continues: "On the designated day, the champion emerges like a lion seeking prey, advancing to the match accompanied by the ululations of women, carrying a flag different from that of his opponent. The winner of this match takes the opponent's flag and places it on a flagpole above his house, announcing to everyone passing by the village that a champion who defeated so-and-so lives in this house. This tradition can now be compared to the cups and medals awarded upon victory. Furthermore, such an occasion can be a suitable environment for choosing a spouse and a dream champion. The Nuba Mountains have presented this sport and culture to Sudan and the entire world."
Legalizing Wrestling in Sudan
When you possess a heritage that is part of you and has an influence on others, these are positive advantages to your credit. You cannot then isolate yourself; you must present this preferential advantage. Therefore, this sport traveled from the Nuba Mountains, just as it had previously traveled from the great Kingdom of Kush, from the far North to the Nuba Mountains, passing through the desert. Then it spread through the Nuba Mountains people who worked in the military and as government employees, who practiced wrestling as a culture and heritage during holidays, until the first federation was formed at the Sudanese level in Khartoum in the 1970s. Afterward, several federations were formed until the "Sudanese Wrestling Federation" was established in October 2001. It was emphasized that wrestling is a sport and there is nothing to prevent it from being a preserved culture and heritage that does not hinder its national identity as a Sudanese sport. There are now federations throughout Sudan, except for the Darfur states, where, as the President of the Wrestling Federation stated, "we continue to make significant efforts to establish them, but this work requires arduous efforts and interaction from the people of the states." He expressed his hope of seizing this opportunity and spreading wrestling throughout Sudan because it expresses the identity and heritage of Sudan.
Types of Wrestling
Professor Allajabo, President of the Wrestling Federation, clarified that there is only one type of wrestling in Sudan: "Nuba wrestling", or Sudanese wrestling. Globally, there is an international wrestling federation to which member federations from all over the world belong, and Sudan has been part of this system since May 2010, when a representative of the International Federation, Mohamed Ben Zouhair, who was also the President of the African Federation, visited Sudan. There was also a visit by a Turkish delegation to Sudan, and a protocol was signed at the Hajyousif arena at the time. This protocol opened wider horizons for Sudanese wrestlers to travel to Turkey and experience the infrastructure there, and also contributed to developing the level of Sudanese wrestlers, resulting in promising outcomes in external participations. Globally, there is Olympic wrestling, which is divided into three categories: freestyle, Greco-Roman, women's wrestling, and now beach wrestling has joined them to be part of the upcoming Olympic Games. The President of the Sudanese Wrestling Federation believes that "beach wrestling is the closest to Nuba wrestling" because it is played on sand within a 10-meter radius circle, explaining the differences in wrestling rules from one type to another. Regarding wrestling in Sudan, he said: "A wrestler can throw his opponent to the ground either on their stomach, back, buttocks, or on their entire right or left side. These are the positions that confirm the wrestler's victory; otherwise, the competition continues until the end."
Competitions and Championships
In addition to the aforementioned championships and competitions during events and occasions in the Nuba Mountains, after the formation of the federations, new competitions emerged. There was the "Republic Championship", in which all Sudanese federations under the umbrella of the Sudanese Wrestling Federation participated. There are competitions for adults and competitions for juniors and youth, as explained by the President of the Federation. He added: "At the senior level, we have reached the eighth championship, which was held in the states of Khartoum, Gezira, Kassala, South Kordofan, and North Kordofan." He stressed that the championships in Kordofan attracted a large audience. Kordofan is considered a closed area for wrestling and a distinctive feature for the people of the region. Professor Allajabo Suleiman Kabo continued: "The most prominent championship in 2019 was in South Kordofan, with the participation of 13 federations from all over Sudan for two weeks. It witnessed very strong competition, which is what the Sudanese Federation aimed for, because wrestling is an exciting sport that highlights Sudan's culture and identity, it produces champions who elevate its standing globally. The goal of the Republic championships is to produce champions who represent Sudan well." Regarding juniors, he added: "We have reached the seventh championship, which was held throughout Sudan, including Kassala, Khartoum, Gadarif, White Nile, Gezira, and Red Sea. There are also competitions held on some occasions in the Northern State, for example. Also, the Blue Nile state witnessed junior competitions in Baw, Alroseires, and Damazin localities. Wrestling has a large number of enthusiasts and followers, which encourages us to organize competitions and spread the game throughout different parts of Sudan."
Wrestling During and After the War
Due to the war conditions in Sudan, no real competitions have been organized. However, the Wrestling Federation is working on some positive steps, such as holding competitions in safe areas, for example, Kassala State, and organizing a championship including prominent wrestlers who form a main pillar for forming a national team to represent Sudan in external competitions. Kabo referred to an idea that was discussed with officials in the Blue Nile state to organize competitions involving states such as Gadarif, Kassala, Red Sea, Gezira, and Sennar, expressing his hope that this will be implemented this year. At the Khartoum state level, he indicated that there are some competitions in East Nile and Omdurman, given that Khartoum state is attractive for competitions from several aspects, while preserving the right of the Kordofan states as they represent the main mine for wrestling champions.
Wrestling Arenas in Sudan
There are existing arenas in Khartoum State, such as the East Nile Arena, which hosted several competitions previously, and the Ombadda Arena in Omdurman. There are also unfully established arenas throughout Sudan in Kassala, Halfa, PortSudan, Dallange, and Kadugly that require work. This is a direct result of the lack of funding, which is the responsibility of the state, as the Federation President stated, and not the federations. He expressed hope that this sport would receive attention from the state to build arenas that honor Sudan, as they do not require extensive effort like Olympic wrestling, which needs indoor halls. Nuba wrestling only needs an arena that can accommodate five thousand spectators and an inner competition circle, which is not costly. It requires decisions from the state and support to build wrestling arenas that serve as an outlet for youth and an attraction for tourists from Europe and America. This responsibility falls on the Ministries of Sports, Culture, and Tourism. Wrestling, as Kabo believes, could become the most popular sport, and if compared to the popularity of football, excluding Al-Hilal and Al-Merreikh clubs, wrestling would tip the scales. This presents a greater challenge for the Federation and relevant authorities in Sudan, as support for external participations alone is not enough. Kabo called for sports to be one of the state's main goals because it represents an embassy for nations, raising flags and playing national anthems, so Sudanese wrestling has what it takes to achieve that.
Wrestling in Africa
Al-Siraa' or wrestling in Africa is part of the extended Sudanese heritage within the African continent, as stated by the President of the Sudanese Federation: "I say with full conviction that the kings of Great Kush are the ones who supplied Africa with this type of sport, because they ruled Africa and spread wrestling to many countries. Imagine being in Senegal at a wrestling competition, blindfolded, and you don't know you're in Senegal, you would think you were in the Nuba Mountains with all its details and rituals. This indicates the existence of commonalities here and there, and this applies to other countries. On our part, we are working to activate participation with countries such as Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Senegal, with whom we have excellent relations, to contribute to the development of wrestling. We are working to register Nuba wrestling with UNESCO for the Nuba Mountains people. Nuba wrestling exists as a sport at the international martial arts federation level, and we must work diligently to preserve this heritage and this sport in all its details."
International Participations
At the level of external competitions, after joining the international system, Sudan participated in Arab, African, and World Championships, during which Sudan won "27 colored medals". Africa participated in Egypt, Nigeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Congo, and also participated in many Arab countries, and in the World Championship in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. All these participations came as a result of the outstanding performance of Sudanese wrestlers.
Who Are the Champions of Sudanese Wrestling?
Professor Allajabo Suleiman Kabo declared the Sudanese champions who have enriched its arenas with their skills. In women's wrestling, he mentioned the athlete Patricia Saif El-Din, who could have participated in the Paris Olympics despite her young age, affirming efforts to support her to represent Sudan in the upcoming Olympics. Among the highly acclaimed wrestlers is "Juma Bashir Ziko", from the Red Sea, where he grew up, and who hails from the Nuba Mountains. He won a bronze medal in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, at the African Championship, and then went on to win seven colored medals for Sudan, becoming the first wrestler to achieve this feat. There are also Mustafa Mohammed Hammad Taqnas, and "The Expressway," who won Sudan's first medal in Doha, and Al-Baqer Mohammed Babiker Kiri, the well-known outstanding wrestler. There's "Total Destruction," and "Al-Rakouba," "Bird Flu," "Aisha Aisatein" (one of the very distinguished wrestlers), "The Camel," Badr El-Din Al-Qasir, the terrifying wrestler "American," and Yasser Al-Daw Harba, "Port Gate," "Four Jerry Cans," and "Seven Mountains." All these wrestlers have shone in the nation's sky and presented wrestling in a vibrant image. Kabo recalled a history well-remembered by the residents of Abu Saad Omdurman and Banat: the Hamad El-Nil wrestling in Omdurman, where wrestlers gave their utmost and preserved this heritage. He affirmed that the Federation will work to form an additional system for the national teams participating in external competitions and to prepare well for the next Olympics, which are three years away, ensuring Sudan's presence.
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