Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala has responded to claims by Sports Principal Secretary Joe Okudo who said the athlete was to blame for his recent VISA setback ahead of the World Championships held in the USA.
In an earlier statement, Okudo said that Omanyala’s VISA setback came about due to missing information in his application.
“All athletes got their visas except Omanyala because some information was not disclosed in his application, which had nothing to do with AK. Omanyala is best placed to answer that,” Okudo told a local daily.
The PS further stated that the ministry had to intervene in order to seek out the hitch.
“The fact that I didn’t travel says a lot. Only those who need to travel from the Ministry are travelling,” Okudo said.
However, speaking to an online publication on Monday, July 18, Omanyala distanced himself from any blame, noting that he had not been informed about any incomplete information required in his VISA application.
He argued that if that were the case, the embassy would have highlighted the issue earlier.
“If that were the case, the American embassy would have highlighted the issue in advance,” he stated.
The athlete also pointed out that he would divert all his energy toward the upcoming Commonwealth games in two weeks’ time.
In order to avoid any future setbacks, Omanyala said that he would directly travel to Birmingham, the United Kingdom in preparation for the acclaimed event.
Omanyala bowed out of the World Championships after he came fifth in the semi-finals during his 100 metres race.
The sprinter expressed optimism after his performance stating that he would turn it into a positive lesson.
“Every challenge you face today makes you stronger tomorrow. The challenge of life is intended to make you better, not bitter. Persistence and resilience only come from having been given a chance to work through difficult problems. No matter how much falls on us, we keep moving,” Omanyala said.
