Omanyala sounds alarm on Kenya’s untapped sprint talent

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala has called for early identification and structured development of sprinting talent, warning that Kenya risks losing future champions by introducing athletes to sprinting too late.

Speaking during a sprint talent scouting and development programme in Kajiado County, the Commonwealth Games champion said Kenya has raw sprinting ability across the country but lacks systems that nurture speed talent at a young age.

“I’m looking at the young ages. Today we’ve had as low as 12-year-olds, and I believe it’s much easier to coach them at that age because they are more receptive in terms of muscle, grasping stuff. So that is why it’s easier and more advantageous to work with them from that low age,” noted Omanyala, Africa’s fastest man.

Omanyala stressed that early exposure allows coaches to shape technique, discipline and competitive mindset before bad habits set in, giving young sprinters a stronger foundation to compete at elite level.

He noted that without clear pathways from grassroots to national competition, many gifted athletes either drop out or never realize their full potential.

“For now, the big hindrance is the opportunities. Some of these athletes don’t get the right opportunities. But with such initiatives, it will be easier for us to take the opportunities to them and help them identify themselves in terms of the support and expertise from the coaching aspect of it,” he said.

The initiative, which targets young sprinters, will see selected athletes undergo advanced training and gain competitive exposure through Athletics Kenya, as part of a wider push to strengthen sprinting at grassroots level.

The programme reflects growing efforts to broaden Kenya’s athletics success beyond distance running by investing in speed talent early and deliberately.