French Sudan French Sudan French Sudan (; "") was a French colonial territory in the federation of French West Africa from around 1880 until 1960, when it became the independent state of Mali. The colony was formally called French Sudan from 1890 until 1899 and then again from 1921 until 1958, and had a variety of different names over the course of its existence. The colony was initially established largely as a military project led by French troops, but in the mid-1890s it came under civilian administration. A number of administrative reorganizations in the early 1900s brought increasing French administration over issues
Sudan at the Olympics by the International Olympic Committee in 1959. Sudan at the Olympics Sudan first participated at the Olympic Games in 1960, and has sent athletes to compete in most Summer Olympic Games since then. The nation did not attend the 1964 Games, boycotted the 1976 Summer Olympics along with most African nations, and participated in the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics. The nation has never participated in the Winter Olympic Games. Ismail Ahmed Ismail, who came second in the men's 800 m in 2008, was the first Sudanese athlete to win an Olympic medal. The National Olympic Committee for