Thu 14 July 2022:
Despite receiving his visa to travel to the United States less than 24 hours before the event, Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, said he is “positive” he will compete at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Reuters reported.
Omanyala, who is on the entry list for the 100-meter race, initially stated that he would not compete due to a visa delay. The 100m heats are part of the morning session, which begins on Friday at 9:05 a.m. local time (16:05 GMT).
“Onto the next flight to Oregon,” Omanyala, who will travel from Nairobi, said on Twitter. “Am positive that I will compete.”
A spokesperson for Omanyala told Reuters that the Kenyan sprinter received his visa on Thursday, adding that the delay was likely due to the significant backlog of cases resulting from closures due to COVID-19.
Reuters has contacted Athletics Kenya and the US Embassy in Kenya for comment.
“Visa challenges are faced by all Kenyans and people daily, in this case, I was no different,” Omanyala added.
After finishing the 100 meters in 9.77 seconds at the Kip Keino Classic competition in Nairobi in September 2021, Omanyala set the African men’s record.
The 26-year-old was the first Kenyan to advance to the Olympic 100m semi-finals in Tokyo last year and won the African 100m championship last month.
He declared that he will also compete in the Commonwealth Games, which will begin on July 28 in Birmingham, England.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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