New dawn for sprinters as Omanyala Sprint Club is launched

The school became the first beneficiary of the initiative, which has been rolled out under the Omanyala Foundation.

The foundation operates on three key pillars, with sprint talent development at its core. It is driven by the belief that every budding sprinter deserves a fair opportunity to reach their full potential.

Through the initiative, the foundation aims to identify, nurture, and mentor young athletes by providing them with structured pathways from school-level athletics to elite competition. This will be achieved through the establishment of sprint clubs in schools, training of specialized coaches, and offering access to professional mentorship.

A major highlight of the Merishaw project is that the sprint club will be mentored and trained by Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, giving students a rare opportunity to learn directly from one of the continent’s finest sprinters through professional and structured training.

According to Merishaw School Games Master Kipkirui Sang, the decision to partner with Omanyala was inspired by his stature and success on the global stage.

“We decided to partner with Omanyala because he is a brand. He is recognised both nationally and internationally, and we associate him with success. He will be a mentor to the young students,” Sang said.

Omanyala will officially begin working with the school next term, starting with internal trials to identify students with sprinting potential.

“We are going to conduct trials starting next term for students within our school. After identifying those capable of joining the sprint club, the coaches will then come in,” he explained.

Sang added that the Omanyala Foundation will deploy a team of coaches, working alongside local trainers, to oversee the program and ensure proper development of the identified talents.

“After a certain period, depending on how competitive the athletes prove to be, we will expose them out there. This is about answering the question: What's next after school?” he said.

He noted that many students struggle after completing Grade 12, despite having talent, and the program seeks to bridge that gap by creating opportunities for exposure, scholarships, and career progression through athletics.

“For now, we are starting with our students, but as time goes by, we will engage the Omanyala Foundation so that during holidays we can open our doors to other sprinters. We have the facilities and can host talent identification camps and even international competitions,” Sang added.

On his side, Omanyala noted that the initiative was born out of his desire to secure the future of Kenyan sprinting and ensure continuity beyond his competitive years.

“We have launched this sprint club at Merishaw School, the first beneficiary of the Omanyala Foundation. We are doing this to make sure more sprinters are coming up in future championships,” Omanyala revealed.

“I do not want to leave a gap. That was the essence of coming up with the sprint club. We hope to recruit as many sprinters as we can from here and give them a clear pathway to their careers going forward,” he averred