Kenyan sprinting sensation and Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, has called on Uganda to bid for the World Indoor Athletics Championships, following the recent refurbishment of Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.
Competing in the men’s 100m at the third National Trials held at Namboole, Omanyala impressed with a time of 10.09 seconds in Heat 1, highlighting his dominance on the track.
His participation, along with several top Kenyan athletes, elevated the competitiveness of the event, inspiring a strong showing from local Ugandan talent.
Omanyala, the 2022 Commonwealth and African champion and African record-holder (9.77 seconds), praised the upgraded Namboole Stadium for meeting international standards.
“Uganda now qualifies to host the World Indoor Championships, considering the standard of Namboole and the stadiums I have visited worldwide,” Omanyala remarked.
With his sights set on the World Championships in Tokyo this September, Omanyala has also committed to nurturing sprinting talent across East Africa.
Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) President Dominic Otuchet underscored the value of foreign participation at the trials, sharing that over 10 athletes from the event have already qualified for international competitions.
Reflecting on Uganda’s history in short-distance events, from John Akii-Bua’s 1972 Olympic gold in the 400m hurdles to Davis Kamoga’s 1996 Olympic bronze in the 400m, Otuchet expressed optimism that this could mark the beginning of a new era for Ugandan sprinting.
