Ferdinand Omanyala Urges Immediate Action in Powerful Message to New IOC Presiden

Ferdinand Omanyala Urges Immediate Action in Powerful Message to New IOC Presiden

Abigael Wafula 19:20 - 10.04.2025

Ferdinand Omanyala has joined over 400 Olympians in urging the new IOC president, Kirsty Coventry, to take meaningful action on global challenges.

Newly elected International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry already has a huge task ahead of her as she takes office, fighting climate change.

More than 400m Olympians including Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala have shared their pleas to the IOC president to formulate a plan to make the world a better place for athletes to exist, train and compete freely.

The recent Olympic Games have become different with the recent being the Paris Olympic Games. The Seine River had issues with water quality and safety for the swimming events, partly due to heavy rainfall and climate change.

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The delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games also faced the same struggle with temperatures rising above 34C and humidity around 70%.

The rising temperatures are making it difficult to organise events and athletes around the world have raised their concerns over the same.

Ferdinand Omanyala call to action

Ferdinand Omanyala call to action
Ferdinand Omanyala call to action

Recent years have witnessed recurring storms, droughts, or wildfires that affect how athletes train and compete since they come from countries facing the consequences of climate change. The nations include the Bahamas, Fiji, Kenya, Pakistan and Zambia.

“Here in Kenya and around the world, we’re already experiencing the harsh realities of climate change, from extreme weather to rising temperatures,” Ferdinand Omanyala said as per Earth Org.

“We can’t afford to wait. Protecting our planet must be a top priority so that both athletes and communities can thrive in a cleaner, more sustainable world.”

Effects of climate change

Ferdinand Omanyala call to action
Ferdinand Omanyala call to action

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the heat forced tennis player Daniil Medvedev to ask: “I can finish the match, but I can die. If I die, who will take responsibility?”

Hannah Mills, double Olympic champion sailor and IOC Sustainability Ambassador added: “The Olympics have held and fulfilled the dreams of so many over its history. But I can’t have any bigger dream than a future in which my children can thrive.”

Meanwhile, Elana Meyers Taylor, said: “As a winter Olympian and a mother of two, I feel so strongly that the next IOC President must prioritise care for the planet, ensuring that the sports we love and the winter landscapes that make them possible are preserved.”

The hot weather affects athletes’ performances as it disrupts sleeping patterns, accelerates dehydration, and increases the risk of illness and injury.

Reports have proven that by 2050, previous host cities of the Olympic Games like Tokyo, Beijing, Athens, Seoul, Rome and Barcelona could be too hot to safely stage the Games again.

Now the ball lies in Kirsty Coventry’s hands to address climate change and shape the future of the Olympic Games.