Africa and Commonwealth 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala is targeting a sub-10 second display at the 2022 ISTAF World Continental Tour Silver meeting in Berlin, Germany on Sunday.
However, Omanyala said he is not under the pump as he had achieved all the targets he had set for the year.
“My race will be in the afternoon. I am under no pressure because I have achieved all the goals I had set for this year. However, I am hoping to go under 10 seconds,” Omanyala said.
Omanyala said the year has been a blessing to him despite the visa hitch that he encountered ahead of the World Championships in Oregon.
“I am feeling great. This has been a long season but I am happy it’s coming to an end. I have bagged three major titles and I am happy about that,” he said.
Omanyala placed second at the just-concluded Spitzen Leichtathletick World Continental Tour in Lucerne, Switzerland, saying he expected the results to turn out that way.
“Basically, it’s about having fun now that the season is over. Lucerne happened how I expected because the weather conditions were not favourable,” he said.
Talking about the future of sprints in the country, Omanyala said he believes his recent victories have inspired many young athletes. “I am sure I have motivated so many upcoming sprinters and I believe the future is bright,” he said.
He, however, observed that the journey to the top is not for the faint-hearted.
“Athletics is a sport of ups and downs but people only get to see the success. For instance, sprints require a lot of discipline and persistence. Upcoming sprinters should learn to endure the pain that comes with the hard work invested in training," he said.
“Despite the challenges, they should always keep their dreams alive because challenges are just here to make us stronger. Personally, I have had injuries, financial constraints among other challenges but I have been able to put up. I thank God because he gave me the mental strength to keep pushing.”
Meanwhile, Omanyala says he is not content with the African and Commonwealth titles but will work towards being an Olympic and world champion as well as the world record holder.
