Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has encouraged Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, to remain proud despite not making it to the Olympic finals in Paris. Kalonzo praised Omanyala for being a source of inspiration to many people both locally and globally.
"Hold your head high, Ferdinand Omanyala. You inspire millions, not only in Kenya but across Africa and the world," he stated.
The former Vice President expressed confidence that Omanyala's moment to dominate the world stage will come. "I am confident and have faith that your time will come, and we shall sing our beautiful and cherished National Anthem while you proudly display the coveted 100m Gold Medal."
On Sunday, Omanyala’s dream of becoming the first Kenyan to reach the Olympics 100m final was dashed as he finished eighth in the semi-final. He clocked 10.08 seconds, placing second to last in the race.
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In the heats, Omanyala had secured his spot in the semi-final by finishing first with a time of 10.08 seconds, leading Italy’s Chituru Ali (10.12) and Germany’s Joshua Hartmann (10.16).
In the Tokyo Olympics, Omanyala was eliminated after placing third (10.00) in semifinal 1. Despite this, he expressed optimism and noted his growth as an athlete over the past three years. “So many things have happened in the last three years: Commonwealth and African titles, and a couple of Diamond League wins. Three years is a long time for an athlete to grow,” he said.
