Ferdinand Omanyala Reveals Millions He Earns in Appearance Fees as He Cautions Fellow Athletes

Ferdinand Omanyala is one of the best-paid Kenyan athletes thanks to his heroics on the track and numerous endorsement deals and has given an insight into how much he earns.

Omanyala, who is the African record holder, has a high affinity for sponsors even though he is yet to win a World Championship or Olympics medal but his stature as a global superstar ensures he rakes in the big bucks.

The 30-year-old says he has mustered the importance of branding which has helped him earn much more away from the track, revealing how much an athlete of his calibre takes home in appearance fees.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Google News, Stay informed with Latest Sport News

“Appearance fees depend on the level of competition and who you are,” Omanyala said on the Obinna Show.

“If you reach a level where you have won major championships…global medal or maybe a Commonwealth gold or African Championship medal, you are looking at $30,000 (Ksh3.8 million) per race in appearance fees,” the sprinter, who won the 2022 Commonwealth and African Championship gold medals in 100m revealed.

Omanyala feels some athletes are losing out because they are yet to understand the true value of creating a strong brand and only rely on prize money yet the bigger part of the pie comes from other deals.

“Some athletes really do not understand that. When you add incentives of clocking certain times or you break the event’s record, the organiser gives you an extra bonus. You have to be smart and know that these things exist in the sport,” he added.

“Running is one thing but the brand itself is another. How you brand and package yourself outside track [because] that is what brings in the most money.

“For instance, you can get an athlete with the same accolades or even more than me but the life he lives is not the same because of how you put yourself out there.”

Omanyala is among athletes who have been putting their earnings to good use after revealing that he invests in bonds and stocks while he recently completed a multimillion seven-bedroom mansion for his family.

The sprinter has advised fellow athletes to invest whatever they earn given the unpredictable nature of sport, added to the fact that it is a short career.

“The problem we have is that sportsmen forget this career has an end. It reaches a point where you are so big and famous that money blinds you so if you are spendthrift, you will think it will come every day,” he said.

“However, the moment you realise there is an end to this…we are an injury away from retirement so you must know what will happen. So when you are not saving that money, most of our athletes end up with disasters, but if you realise there is an end to this, it makes you more humble.”