Omanyala's grand plan for Kenya to ensure sprinting legacy lives on after retirement

ATHLETICS Omanyala's grand plan for Kenya to ensure sprinting legacy lives on after retirement

Abigael Wafula 08:18 - 17.05.2023

He also called upon the government and private sector to come on board and help support his initiative.

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala is making big moves as he seeks to ensure his legacy lives on for many years to come.

Omanyala, 27, revealed that he does not want to leave a gap between him and the upcoming sprinters, and because of that, he has started an initiative to nurture young talent.

The initiative, dubbed ‘Sprint Achievers’ will ensure that going forward, even after his retirement, Kenya shall still be known for producing great sprinters.

“I believe I’m not going to be here forever and I don’t want to leave a gap in this country. I don’t want people to come and say Kenya used to have a sprinter.

I want to ensure Kenya is an industry of sprints. I don’t want to leave and go with the wave,” he said.

The newly-crowned Kip Keino Classic 100m champion also revealed that his main goal is to have a very good camp that will even see athletes from abroad come to train in the country.

He added that Kenya has a lot of talent, especially in the grassroots, and wants to ensure they are not wasted.

“My big dream is to have a big sports complex that will host these sprinters. Hopefully, we want to get young athletes aged 10-12 since I started my career at 20 and it was a bit late.

"We want to ensure these young people maximise their talents. I believe that in the next five years, we shall so many sprinters coming on board,” he said.

He also called upon the government and private sector to come on board and help support the initiative.

“I hope that people will come out and support our dreams and vision. I believe everything is possible,” he said.

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