UoN boss welcomes sprinter Omanyala, wishes him well in upcoming competitions
The University of Nairobi Vice Chancellor Prof. Stephen Kiama on Tuesday welcomed national record holder in 100 metres race Ferdinand Omanyala after his successful races in Tokyo and Brussels.
The university boss urged him to mentor other university students and pledged his support in getting sponsorship and opportunities that would advance his sportsmanship.
"The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Stephen Kiama, wished him well in the last race of the season that is to take place on Saturday at Kasarani stadium," the university said in a statement.
Omanyala, fresh from competing at the Diamond league where he finished fourth in his maiden appearance in Brussels, will have a week of preparation and recovery as he seeks to run a sub 10 seconds.
In an interview with People Daily Digital, Omanyala was upbeat and said that he looks forward to participating in the Zagreb meeting
“There is always pressure to perform at the highest stage and I remain resilient in my quest to be the very best, my body is in good shape, and I am optimistic I will record a sub 10 seconds time,” Omanyala said.
The fast rising sprinter will three days later jet in the country to participate in the Kip Keino Classic on September 18 in Nairobi.
In his debut at the just concluded Diamond League, Omanyala clocked 10.02 seconds, losing the race to Americans, who swept the first three places in sub 10 seconds with Tokyo Olympics 100 m silver medallist Fred Kerley calling the shots in 9.94
Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions, comprising fourteen of the best invitational athletics meetings.
The winner in each discipline at the final is awarded a Diamond League Trophy and 30,000 USD in prize money, an equivalent of 3,279,000.00 Kenyan Shilling.
The Brussels meeting was the 12th leg of the 2021 Diamond League series ahead of the finals slated for September 8-9 in Zurich, Switzerland.
