Commonwealth Games champion Ferdinand Omanyala has disclosed what he loves most about being Kenyan and why Kenyans are special.
Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala has opened up about the quality he loves most about being Kenyan and why he loves Kenyans.
Omanyala explained that Kenyans have a certain type of resilience that cannot be found among other people and that they always have the spirit of never giving up.
The Commonwealth Games champion also saluted Kenyans for loving sports and supporting him in his journey as he ventured into something that seemed impossible.
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“The resilience. Kenyans never quit. If they want something, they want something. One thing I love about this country is that they are so passionate about sports, especially now that I’m doing something that has never been done by a Kenyan before.
“There’s so much passion about it. You’ll find people talking about it, even people who know nothing about athletics, but they google stuff,” Omanyala told NBC Sport.
The 28-year-old added that his fans, from across Africa have been a great pillar in his career growth. He singled out the Kip Keino Classic as one of the events where fans flock to the stadium to go watch him and he is forever grateful for that.
Omanyala added that whenever he goes out to compete, he always receives messages from fans across the continent wishing him all the best. On days when he feels low, Omanyala disclosed that his fans come in handy to help him cheer up again by just looking at the messages from them.
“I’ve gotten so much support from my countrymen and that means a lot. The Kip Keino Classic is an event that we organise every year, and with the support that you see coming in…thousands of people just come to flock to the stadiums to watch Omanyala and that means a lot.
“Anytime I’m going to compete, I’m always trending on Twitter, Facebook, and Google because people are showing their support. So many messages come in.
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“Not just in Kenya alone, but people message me from different countries in Africa and tell me, ‘We are behind you. We are supporting you and we are cheering you on.’ That means a lot to me. Sometimes I feel low but anytime I see those kinds of messages I feel pumped again,” he added.
At the moment, Omanyala is gearing for the Paris 2024 Olympics and he is great shape for a podium place at the event. He won the Kenyan Olympic trials in a world leading time of 9.79.