The program follows nearly two years of discussions, will focus on talent identification, technical coaching and mentorship, with Omanyala targeting sprinters capable of competing at school, regional and international level.
Bonface Osano, Marabou News Agency
Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala has expanded his grassroots sprint development program, launching an Omanyala Sprints Club at St Joseph’s Boys National School in Kitale.
The initiative seeks to establish structured sprint programs in schools while creating an avenue for young athletes to develop their talent from an early age.
The Kitale launch comes just days after Omanyala established a similar club at his former school, Friends School Kamusinga, as he continues his schools tour across Western Kenya.
The program, which follows nearly two years of discussions, will focus on talent identification, technical coaching and mentorship, with Omanyala targeting sprinters capable of competing at school, regional and international level.
The initiative will also scout talented students from across the country, particularly those joining the school from Grade Nine. As a national school, St Joseph’s Boys provides a diverse talent pool from different regions.
“I’m looking forward to impacting not just students currently in this school, but next year we’re purposing to bring talented students from Grade 9, we’ll go and scout them at the regional level and we’ll be sending them here,” Omanyala said.
The Sprints Club will provide young athletes with structured coaching and technical expertise, while creating a pathway from school athletics to elite competition.
St Joseph’s Boys Chief Principal Cosmas Stephen Simiyu Nabungolo welcomed the partnership, saying it presents an opportunity for the school to strengthen its investment in athletics, particularly sprinting.
The school is now targeting stronger performances at the East African level, with the next regional school games in Rwanda providing an early benchmark for the program.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank Ferdinand Omanyala for launching the first sprint club in St. Joseph’s Boys, Kitale. The boys are elated, we’re all very happy, this is going to give us an opportunity to showcase the athletics talent, especially for the sprints. For a long time, we’ve not been investing in athletics and the sprints,” Nabungolo said.
Omanyala, who holds the African 100 metres record of 9.77 seconds, has increasingly turned his attention to grassroots talent development as part of his athletics legacy.
Having discovered his own sprinting potential relatively late after initially concentrating on rugby, the Commonwealth Games 100m champion is now seeking to give the next generation earlier access to specialised coaching and development opportunities.
Marabou News Agency
