Ferdinand Omanyala begins season with loss to South African teenager

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala started his 2025 season in losing fashion as he placed third at the in Pretoria, South Africa on Wednesday.

Seeking to begin on a high, Omanyala was slightly edged out by Karabo Letebele of South Africa, who won the race in 10.19 seconds, clocking a personal best, just ahead of countryman Emile Erasmus, who also timed 19.19.

Omanyala finished in third after clocking 10.22 seconds, beating Kenyan compatriot Mark Otieno, who managed fourth place in 10.39 seconds.

It was the slowest time Omanyala has run in recent times and is an indication that he is still far from his best form as he is just beginning his season.

Kenya has been dealt a blow in its ambitious multi-billion Talanta stadium project earmarked for AFCON 2027 with audit revealing millions lost.

It was a good day at the office for teen sensation Letebele who recorded his personal best, to beat his illustrious rivals in the race.

African record holder Omanyala has opted to start his season in Pretoria, just like in the last two years, hoping to gather enough as he looks forward to the 2025 season, when he hopes to

Omanyala at the Paris 2024 Olympics and also missed out on the Diamond League Final, which was a step back from his 2023 campaign.

The Kenyan ace has a second bite of the cherry at the ASA Grand Prix 2 in Johannesburg on March 19 which will give him an indication of some of the things to work on going forward.

Omanyala is looking to build confidence as he pushes for a great season with winning a medal at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan in September his main aim.