Sprints coach urges juniors to emulate Omanyala in races

World Under 20 Championships

Safaricom’s Chief Technology Information Officer Morten Bangsgaard (left) hands over a dummy cheque for Sh66. 5 million to World Athletics Under 20 CEO Mike Rabar on August 13, 2021 at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

Photo credit: Pool |

What you need to know:

  • Safaricom sponsors track and field championship to the tune of Sh66.5m

Kenya national junior sprints coach, Andrew Maritim, has challenged his sprinters to borrow a leaf from the 100 metres national record holder, Ferdinand Omanyala, ahead of next week’s World Athletics Under-20 Championships that will be staged at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

The global junior championship, which is expected to attract athletes from at least 128 countries, will take place from August 17 to 22.

Speaking on Friday during Team Kenya’s morning training session at Kasarani Stadium, Maritim said that although Omanyala didn’t qualify for the final of men’s 100m competition of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, he showed great determination, character and desire to do better.

Omanyala clocked 10.00sec to finish third in heat one of the 100m semi-finals in Tokyo, in the process  breaking his own national record over the distance.

Maritim said he shall be happy should all his athletes make it to the finals of their respective races in the junior track and field championship.

“We have good athletes. But the mistake we make as a country is to wait for championships before we can assemble athletes and put them in camp to train for the said competition. How about if we started nurturing these athletes at a young age so that by the time those events are here we are ready?” the coach posed.

Stiff competition

“We might face a stiff competition from Jamaica, Poland among other countries in the championship but our athletes have trained well and are prepared. They can’t wait for the championship to start. Luckily, we have no injuries in camp,” he added.

Members of Kenya’s mixed relay team of Elikanah Kiprotich, Sylvia Jelangat, Joshua Wanyonyi and Kennedy Kimeu are among the local athletes who were in training at Kasarani Stadium.

Meanwhile, Safaricom on Friday announced a Sh66.5 million sponsorship deal for the event.

The sponsorship will cater for internet connectivity for the whole duration of the event. The sponsorship includes a fully kitted media centre and media tribune.

The internet access will also extend to the score recorder’s office, the event management office as well as Kasarani Stadium which will host the training ground, Covid-19 testing and accreditation center for all the athletes.

“We are thrilled to be supporting this unique event which brings together over 1,000 young competitors from around the world and we hope that the Kenyan participants will draw inspiration from the athletes who represented the country at the Olympics. We look forward to an exciting championship. We cannot wait to cheer on the upcoming stars as they go beyond and represent their respective nations,” Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa said in a statement.

Present at Kasarani Stadium during the cheque presentation ceremony were Safaricom’s Chief Technology Information Officer Morten Bangsgaard,  and the 2021 World Athletics Under-20 Championship CEO Mike Rabar.

Kenyan athletes will be out to retain the overal title the country won in the previous edition of the junior track and field championship in Tampere, Finland in 2018.