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He was already having fun with taking part in rugby as a winger when he joined the College of Nairobi to pursue a bachelors diploma in Chemistry 5 years in the past.
Ferdinand Omanyala is a chip off the outdated block. As a scholar at Alliance Excessive Faculty and at Jomo Kenyatta College of Science and Expertise (JKUAT), his father Dishon Omurwa was a sprinter and a rugby participant.
Omurwa ran 100m and 200m races and was a rugby winger, however he loved soccer extra, usually taking part in as a left again and left winger. He reached the nationwide finals with Alliance Excessive Faculty soccer workforce in 1980 and 1981, and was a prime sprinter for JKUAT in 1984 and 1985.
However, Omanyala, who performed volleyball in major faculty, picked up rugby in Kind Three in 2013 at Mates Faculty Kamusinga in Bungoma County.
Omanyala, who scored prime grades at each at St Erastus Major Faculty in Naitiri in Bungoma and at Mates Faculty Kamusinga, took up athletics by probability upon becoming a member of the College of Nairobi in 2015.
His first coaching session with the College of Nairobi’s rugby workforce, Imply Machine, wasn’t gratifying.
“The knocks and tackles scared me, so I by no means attended the periods once more,” says Omanyala who was born on January 2, 1996 in Hamisi, Vihiga however grew up in Tongaren, Bungoma the place the household later settled . His elder brother Collins suggested him to attend trials with the Mount Kenya College rugby workforce which performed in Kenya’s second-tier rugby league.
“Mount Kenya College rugby workforce’s coaching periods at Nairobi Railway Membership had been beneficial, and I prefer it. However I actually wished to get in prime form like my Kenya Sevens idol Collins Injera,” says Omanyala. “I noticed Injera brush apart three defenders in one of many World Sevens Collection to attain. I yearned for the same physique in order to outlive in rugby.”
He sought the companies of Philip Wesonga, an teacher at Nairobi Railway Gymnasium.
Mount Kenya College’s winger, Collins Mulaa who was additionally sprinter hooked up to Kenya Prisons, gave the speedy Omanyala some items of recommendation.
“He was impressed with my velocity and advised me I had nice potential in athletics. I scored essentially the most tries and made the primary workforce in a single season,” the third born in a household of 5 boys says.
“Omanyala was a beast of a winger with lightning velocity. I believed he might make a superb sprinter. In any case, he was nonetheless younger and adventurous,” Mulaa, who performed for Kenya Sevens within the 2010/11 season, stated.
Omanyala did not take Mulaa significantly as a result of Kenyan athletics coaches solely focused on nurturing athletes in center and distance races. He opted to offer it a attempt.
The 2015/16 Athletics Kenya monitor season was attributable to begin in Bondo, Siaya County that February and he opted to compete within the second leg in Mumias.
“I knowledgeable my dad of my choice to change to athletics and he was very supportive. He stated my velocity would work in my favour. He offered me with cash for correct trainers that I purchased at Gikomba Market.
“The very best reward a dad or mum may give their kids is to help their training and their extracurricular actions. I valued training and sports activities too,” Omurwa who’s an agricultural extension officer in Kitale stated.
“I additionally purchased him a rugby equipment when he was known as up for Kenya Below-20 rugby workforce trials too. As a dad or mum, you present for the youngsters however allow them to uncover their potential.”
In Mumias, Omanyala shocked many by ending second within the remaining of the 100 metres race in 10.90 seconds, dropping to the extra skilled Hesbon Oduor.
“I bought Sh5,000 from Athletics Kenya, and I used to be blissful on my first look. My father known as to congratulate me after he noticed my identify within the native dailies,” says Omanyala, including that the College of Nairobi’s director for sports activities, Mbaabu Muriithi, recognised his effort, and the college’s administration supported him in subsequent races.
Omanyala attended the fourth race at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru and gained his semi-final however was surprisingly excluded from the ultimate. In Nakuru, he met his present coach Duncan Ayiemba, who was analysing the races on his laptop computer and a digital camera.
“I had earlier met him on the College of Nairobi however I had no clue that he was an athletics coach. We spoke and he advised me to satisfy him in Nairobi the place he made a coaching programme for me,” says Omanyala, who virtually stop athletics in his first session.
“I virtually gave up making an attempt to cowl a distance of 300 metres 13 occasions however I hung in there. Ayiemba launched me to the actual world of sprints, and Wesonga took care of my energy and conditioning. I realised rugby and athletics coaching had been worlds aside.”
Omanyala attended the sixth and final AK Assembly in Eldoret the place he completed third in 10.30 behind Peter Mwai (10.1) and Charles Wamwea (10.2). Rugby began taking a again seat, and Mount Kenya rugby facet administration tried in useless to lure him again.
He was invited to compete in Kenya Prisons Championships the place he shocked skilled athletes, together with Stephen Baraza to win in 10.75 seconds. “The subsequent day, the media was abuzz with reviews of a rookie who had crushed heavyweights to qualify for the nationwide championships,” notes Omanyala.
On the nationwide championships, Omanyala completed seventh in 10.67 seconds in a remaining race gained by Mike Mokamba (10.35), adopted by Mark Otieno (10.39). Mokamba and Otieno had been chosen for the 2016 Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Durban, South Africa.
Omanyala could be invited for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic trials held on the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret. The athletes had an Olympic qualifying time of 10.16 seconds to beat.
“I used to be beneath stress after seeing massive names however the stress disappeared after I noticed the group,” states Omanyala, who shocked Otieno, who had simply arrived from South Africa, to win in 10.37. He did not qualify for 2016 Olympic Video games, however he had introduced his arrival on the massive stage.
“I bought a whole bunch of good friend requests on my social media platforms as I appeared ahead to the 2017 season. With the 2017 World Relay Championships developing in Bahamas and the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London, I had nice expectations.”
Omanyala competed in his first 200m race within the trials for 2017 World Relay Championships, gained and made the Kenyan workforce for the occasion held on April 22-23, 2017.
“I could not sleep the night time after I certified. I could not consider I might be on my first flight to Bahamas at solely 21,” says Omanyala, who was delighted to satisfy his sprints idols, the 2012 Olympic 100m and 200m silver medallist Yohan Blake, 2004 Olympic 100m gold medallist Justin Gatlin and multi-Olympic 100m champion Shelly Anne Fraser-Pryce in Bahamas.
He helped Kenya qualify for the ultimate however the workforce ultimately completed seventh in 4x200m, and so they returned dwelling.
After operating private greatest 10.24 seconds at Eldoret meet, Omanyala gained the Kenya Prisons Championships because the nationwide championships beckoned. Whereas coaching on the Nyayo Nationwide Stadium, Omanyala suffered a decrease again ache on the blocks.
“I went again to the hostel to relaxation after getting medical consideration however I wasn’t in a position to get up. My legs had been numb. I known as my coach and we went to see a health care provider on the town,” says Omanyala.
The physician who was conversant with sports activities accidents advised him that it was extra of a nerve downside and prescribed tramadol and diprofos injections.
Come the nationwide championships on September 14, 2017, Omanyala underwent an anti-doping take a look at after ending second behind Otieno, who set a brand new nationwide document of 10.14 seconds.
Omanyala and his spouse Laventa Amutavi, who was additionally a sprinter at JKUAT attended the World College Video games in Taiwan.
Upon returning, Anti-Doping Company of Kenya (Adak) officers knowledgeable him that his pattern had examined constructive for banned substance. Omanyala, who challenged the outcomes, was handed a 14-month ban. The physician acknowledged the error, and he escaped the utmost four-year ban.
“All the things that I had constructed got here tumbling down. I missed the 2018 Commonwealth Video games and the 2017 World Championships,” Omanyala, who was decided to make a comeback after the ban in 2019, says.
Nonetheless, there have been extra roadblocks forward. In order to curb rising circumstances of doping within the nation, the Cupboard Secretary for Sports activities Amina Mohamed and Athletics Kenya President Jack Tuwei declared that any sports activities character who had served a doping ban wouldn’t symbolize Kenya internationally.
Omanyala was pulled out of the beginning blocks in a global race in Mauritius and bought sidelined when Crew Kenya for the 2019 World Relay Championships was named regardless of clocking a wind-assisted time of 10.14 seconds to win males’s 100m in the course of the trials in Iten.
Omanyala wasn’t invited for the 2019 African Video games trials, and he efficiently challenged the matter in courtroom and he was allowed to compete within the Kenyan trials for the 2019 African Video games. He completed second in 10.60 seconds.
He gained the nationwide 100m title in 10.48 seconds earlier than collaborating within the nationwide trials for the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships however fell wanting qualifying. With Covid-19 wreaking havoc in 2020, Omanyala focused on coaching, prepared for any eventuality.
After coaching for six months, he was not invited for the inaugural Kip Keino Traditional on October 3, 2020. Frustration set in. He contemplated altering nationality, returning to rugby or competing as an authorised impartial athlete within the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Video games.
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Then Kenya Sevens coach Harmless “Namcos” Simiyu invited him for a workforce coaching session in November 2020.
“I contemplated whether or not to stop athletics and return to rugby or simply stop sports activities altogether and focus on my college training,” says Omanyala, who attended rugby periods within the morning earlier than coaching for athletics within the evenings for 2 months. He resolved to offer athletics one remaining shot this 12 months.
Athletics Kenya introduced a collection of build-up occasions in direction of the 2021 World Relay Championships held from Might 1-2 in Silesia, Poland. He was invited to compete, and he ran a nationwide document of 10.11 in 100m which did not stand because it was wind-assisted.
He was sidelined for the World Relay Championships however Dream Imagine Obtain (DBA) , a non-governmental organisation from Nigeria organised races for him in Nigeria the place he set a nationwide document of 10.01 within the semi-finals earlier than returning 10.05 within the remaining. That noticed him grow to be the eighth quickest man on this planet this 12 months. He certified for the 2020 Olympics.
Omanyala, who was in South Africa for races, was invited for the Tokyo Olympic trials. His new supervisor Marcel Viljoen was again in Nairobi. Omanyala set the trials alight with 10.02 sec to formally qualify for Tokyo Olympics alongside Otieno, who clocked 10.05.
In Tokyo, Omanyala completed third in his warmth, equalling his nationwide document of 10.01secs earlier than enhancing it additional to 10.00 secs within the semi-finals. He turned the primary Kenyan to succeed in the Olympic semi-finals in 100m.
After the Olympics, Omanyala headed to Europe the place he turned the primary Kenyan to run the 100m beneath 10 seconds in a brand new nationwide document of 9.96 secs within the semi-finals, and 9.86 secs within the remaining at Josko Lauf Assembly on August 14 in Austria.
On the Absa Kip Keino Traditional on September 18 in Nairobi, he timed 9.77 sec to complete second behind American Trayvon Bromell (9.76) in a brand new African document.
Omanyala is now the all-time eighth quickest man on this planet however his focus is to interrupt Usain Bolt’s world document of 9.58 subsequent 12 months.
He attributes his good efficiency to the energy and conditioning periods with Kenyan Sevens rugby workforce final November and his coach’s coaching programme.
He’s eager on finishing his college training and to develop expertise within the sprints in Kenya.
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