‘You Owned the Track’ - Ferdinand Omanyala Earns High Praise After Conquering Xiamen

Ferdinand Omanyala continues to receive plaudits following his scorching run at the Xiamen Diamond League.

Omanyala beat a strong field that included Letsile Tebogo, Christian Coleman, Akani Simbine and Kenny Bednarek, recording his fifth sub-10 of the season after clocking 9.94 seconds on Saturday.

Africa’s fastest man is having a great start to the season as he has won five of his seven 100m races this term and his sponsors CFAO Mobility, who are in charge of the Toyota brand in Kenya, are in awe of his performance.

“@ferdiomanyala, you didn’t just hold your ground, you owned the track. Against the very best, you showed the same toughness, reliability and unstoppable performance that defines the Toyota Hilux. Built to endure. Built to lead. Built to win,” the brand posted in their congratulatory message to Omanyala.

The Commonwealth champion is the brand ambassador for the Toyota Hilux Double Cabin pickup known for its powerful performance, consistency and resilience which goes in line with what Omanyala is all about.

Omanyala sealed a four-year ambassadorial deal with CFAO Motors Kenya in December 2023 and has been popularising the brand since.

The sprinter was handed a brand-new Toyota Hilux Double Cabin 2025 model valued between Ksh6 million and Ksh8.5 million last year and with his great form, the automaker will be keen to maximize from their partnership.

In Xiamen, Omanyala won ahead of South Africa’s Gift Leotlela, who had edged him at the season-opening Shanghai Diamond League, and will look to maintain his winning run in subsequent races.