Duncan Ayiemba, Ferdinand Omanyala’s former coach has spoken about his unexpected dismissal in 2023 through a WhatsApp message and his unresolved questions about the situation.
Ferdinand Omanyala’s former coach Duncan Ayiemba has broken the silence about what transpired before he lost his job in 2023.
The 2023 season was a mixed one for Africa’s fastest man who started on a high note in the indoor tour before claiming some victories and podium finishes in high-profile meets including the Diamond League Meetings.
Heading to the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, the world was sure about Omanyala’s chances of medaling on the global stage but he faded to a seventh-place finish in the final of the men’s 100m final.
Ferdinand Omanyala did not end his season there as he competed in four races and then rounded up his 2023 with a third-place finish at the Prefontaine Classic.
Ferdinand Omanyala thought it would be wise to change coaches, especially after the long season where he had competed in more than 30 races, an unhealthy workload for a sprinter.
He then started working with Geoffrey Kimani but no one ever knew about what transpired behind closed doors. However, his former coach has come out to speak about the things that transpired and why he has yet to move on from the events that led up to his sacking.
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Ferdinand Omanyala. Image source: Imago
Ayiemba revealed that he only received a text message from Geoffrey Kimani when he was busy training other athletes in the morning. He disclosed that Ferdinand Omanyala never reached out to him after that, something he has never understood to date.
“I got the news when I was in training…I was coaching the other athletes and I remember it was very early in the morning. I just saw a message from the other coach Kim (Geoffrey Kimani) who said, ‘I’ll now be taking over coaching Omanyala for this season.’,” Duncan Ayiemba said in an interview with Athletics TV.
“He shared it on Twitter and after that, he shared the message with me. From there we’ve not had any conversation about the story up to today. It was very unfortunate, that’s what transpired and until today, we have not talked.”
Ayiemba revealed that he only got to know why he was sacked from TV interviews and what people close to him have managed to gather so far.
However, he one day hopes to have a sit down with the two-time Olympian and get to find answers to the many questions running through his mind.
“I only hear, people from outside talk…maybe we shall talk one day so for now it’s just hearsay. I also listen to some of the interviews and those are some of the places I get sources of information from how it transpired, whatever led to his exit,” he added.
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Duncan Ayiemba began working with Ferdinand Omanyala in 2016 when he made that bold move from rugby to sprinting.
At the time Ferdinand Omanyala was banned, Ayiemba was also in the mix. While Omanyala served a 14-month ban, his coach Duncan Ayiemba had to face a 2-year suspension.
He also guided Ferdinand Omanyala to an African record time of 9.77 seconds set at the 2021 Kip Keino Classic.
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Ferdinand Omanyala and his new coach Geoffrey Kimani. Image source: Capital Sport
As he picks up the pieces and continues with his coaching journey, Ayiemba only hopes to have a sit down with Ferdinand Omanyala and get the closure needed.
