Omanyala looks towards statement win at Rabat Diamond League

• Omanyala won the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi this month
• This will be his second career Diamond League race
• He will come against Fred Kerley and Trayvon Brommel

Commonwealth Games champion Ferdinand Omanyala will be looking towards clinching his first ever Diamond League race, when he lines up in a competitive field at Sunday night’s Rabat leg.

Omanyala competes in Rabat just a few weeks after winning at the Kip Keino Classic, a leg of the World Athletics Continental Gold Tour, in a World Leading time of 9.84secs.

Speaking ahead of Sunday night’s race, Omanyala has exuded confidence that he is ready for the race and does not fear anyone, despite a packed and heavy field awaiting in the Moroccan city.

“I feel excited and I am ready for this challenge. I am looking forward to the race. I am not losing any 100m race this year. The target is the World Championships and I want to build a winning momentum till then,” Omanyala said ahead of the race.

He added; “I love competition and I don’t fear anyone. When the competition is high, I always step up my game and I am ready to do so.”

Competition in plenty for Omanyala

Ferdinand Omanyala cruises to victory at the Kip Keino Classic

Competition will not be short in Rabat. Omanyala will come up against world champion Kerley Fred Kerley of the USA alongside compatriot Trayvon Bromell, the 2016 world indoor 60m champion who claimed world 100m bronze in Oregon.

Both Kerley and Bromell have the chance to race for a second Diamond League 100m crown in 2023; Kerley won his in 2021, while Bromell claimed his last year.

Kerley raced the 200m in the season opening leg in Doha and won in 19.92.

Also in the race is South Africa’s Akani Simbine, who Omanyala beat to the African title and Commonwealth Games crown last year.

Omanyala competed against Bromell at the second edition of the Kip Keino Classic during which he timed an African record of 9.77 to finish second as the American set a world lead of 9.76.

A year later, at the same track, Omanyala clocked 9.86 to win the men’s 100m as Kerley came second in 9.92.

Conseslus in action against El Bakkali 

Abraham Kibiwott and Conseslus Kipruto

At the same time, there will be Kenyans aplenty competing in Rabat and apart from Omanyala’s 100m race, another that will offer a huge excitement is the men’s steeplechase which will include home hero and Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali, who will come up against a host of Kenyan athletes.

El Bakkali has had recent success against Kenyan athletes who had owned the race, and has won both the Olympics and World title.

Among the Kenyan athletes lining uop to challenge him on home soil is former Olympic and World Champion Conseslus Kipruto who is looking to rediscover himself after struggling with injury for almost three years.

Former World Junior Champion Amos Serem, Abraham Kibiwott and Leonard Bett as well as world bronze medalist Benjamin Kigen will also line up to compete.

Another world and Olympic champion is in action in the men’s 800m, as Kenya’s Emmanuel Korir takes to the track along with his compatriots Wyclife Kinyamal who is also the Commonwealth Games champion and Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the 2021 World Junior Champion.