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Ferdinand Omanyala is focusing on reclaiming his throne at the Kip Keino Classic while acknowledging rising talent Bayanda Walaza.
Ferdinand Omanyala is not downplaying competition from South African youngster Bayanda Walaza ahead of the Kip Keino Classic on Saturday, May 31, at the Ulinzi Sports Complex.
Africa’s fastest man will be competing against the double world under-20 champion in the men’s 100m at the event, and as things stand, he will be out to challenge Omanyala’s throne.
Omanyala will be eying this fourth Kip Keino Classic title, following his wins in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 editions of the event. In 2024, Ferdinand Omanyala faded to a fifth-place finish as Kenny Bednarek claimed top honours.
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Now, Ferdinand Omanyala will be out to reclaim his top spot in the hotly contested race, and all eyes will be on him to deliver.
Ferdinand Omanyala: He is a Talented Kid
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The reigning Commonwealth Games champion gave Bayanda Walaza his flowers ahead of the highly anticipated showdown.
Ferdinand Omanyala noted that he understands why the 20-year-old has been talking big ahead of the showdown.
Omanyala is also not ruling out competition from other sprinters who will be lining up, as he revealed that he once did that and things did not go well for him.
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Competing in South Africa, Ferdinand Omanyala downplayed the competition from the youngsters and was forced to settle for third, a mistake he is not willing to repeat.
“I understand, the kid is excited and he has the time, and I don’t want to get into a conversation between him and me because there are eight lanes and we can’t start focusing on only the two of us,” Ferdinand Omanyala said in a pre-race press conference ahead of the Kip Keino Classic.
“He is a talented kid, and I respect that; it’s a privilege for him to compete against me, and vice versa is also true. It will be all about bringing out the best in each other, and we both have to put in the work.
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“You can’t look down upon your competitors because I remember that is something that happened to me in South Africa sometime back. I was going to compete in a race, and then overlooked some competitors who were coming to prove a point.”
Ferdinand Omanyala is also praying that the weather turns out perfectly since he is not one of the best sprinters when competing in the rainy conditions.
He added that his fifth-place finish last year was affected by the rain, and he would not want to disappoint fans once again.
“Walaza is doing great, and I appreciate that, but tomorrow is not about a one vs one, and I don’t like pinpointing competitors when going into races. I’m expecting a very good race tomorrow,” Ferdinand Omanyala said.
“I hope the weather will be fair because I remember last year we were just called and then it started raining and I don’t compete very well in such kind of weather. The weather looks good and we hope that God will favour us.”
Ferdinand Omanyala also touched on the significance of the Kip Keino Classic, revealing that it has had a great impact on his career.
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Aside from Bayanda Walaza, Ferdinand Omanyala will also be competing against Kennedy Lachlan and Mark Otieno among other top talents.
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