Kenya: Omanyala Reveals Plans to Play Rugby After Quitting Athletics

NAIROBI — Commonwealth Games champion Ferdinand Omanyala has confessed his desire to play rugby in the latter stages of his career.

Omanyala says rugby is a sport he has loved for a very long time, having started out as a player before transitioning to athletics.

"I miss rugby...I was planning to play rugby until when athletics dragged me away. I want to go back and play it in the last years of my career. I still have like 11 years in this sport and then I will call it a day. I would love to go back and play rugby in my 40s, just to enjoy it," the 2022 African champion said.

Omanyala has previously talked of his rugby background, having started out as a winger while at Kamusinga High School as well as the University of Nairobi.

However, the Kitale native had to exchange rugby boots for a pair of spikes due to the financial challenges he was then encountering.

The rest is history...

Back to the present

Omanyala's immediate focus is Saturday's Kip Keino Classic where he will be competing in the men's 100m at the Ulinzi Sports Complex.

He has been the de facto poster boy of the World Continental Tour Gold event, having provided some of the most memorable moments of the six-year-old competition.

It is in the same event in 2021 that he set an African record of 9.77 on his way to a second-place finish in the men's 100m at the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani.

He was also victorious in 2022 and 2023 before faltering to a disappointing fifth place finish at last year's competition -- clocking 10.03.

The sprinter says Saturday's race will simply be an opportunity to continue getting into shape for the World Championships in Tokyo in September, this year.

"Going into tomorrow, the biggest thing for me in the last couple of races has been to get into rhythm after seven months out of action. I am just praying for a perfect race tomorrow," he said.

Omanyala's last race was at Sunday's Rabat Diamond League where he clocked 10.05 to finish second.

He is hopeful Kenya will soon host a leg of the Diamond League.

"I believe if we are able to fill the Kasarani Stadium with crowds, then it is possible to host a Diamond League. This is a suggestion to the officials for them to try and go for it," Omanyala said.

Read the original article on Capital FM.