Ferdinand Omanyala to lead Team Kenya to the Commonwealth Games

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The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 23 July to 2 August, with athletics among the key attractions of the 11-day event

Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, will spearhead Kenya’s athletics team at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after securing his place with victory in the men’s 100m final at the Athletics Kenya (AK) National Championships and Commonwealth Games trials held at Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday.

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Omanyala booked his ticket to Glasgow by winning the highly anticipated final and will now head to Scotland as the defending Commonwealth champion, looking to retain the title he won four years ago.

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The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 23 July to 2 August, with athletics among the key attractions of the 11-day event.

Omanyala's title defense is expected to face a stern test from fellow Kenyans Meshack Babu and Mark Otieno, who also secured places in the team after impressive performances during the trials.

The sprint king made history at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, when he stormed to gold in the men's 100m in 10.02 seconds.

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The victory made him the first Kenyan in 60 years to win a Commonwealth Games 100m title, following in the footsteps of Seraphine Antao, who achieved the feat in 1962.

Speaking after sealing qualification, Omanyala expressed confidence in his form and readiness for the challenge ahead.

"I've shown this season that I'm in good shape with the sub-10 runs. The goal is to keep that consistency going and, if everything comes together, produce another fast time at the Commonwealth Games. Representing Kenya at the Commonwealth Games would mean a lot. I know what's at stake because I'm the defending champion,” Omanyala said after the race.

He heads to Glasgow on the back of an encouraging season that has seen him consistently clock world-class times.

His campaign began with victory at the Cape Milners Club Meet in South Africa on April 10, where he ran 10.19 seconds.

A week later, he dipped under the 10-second barrier for the first time this season, winning the Addis Ababa Grand Prix in 9.98 seconds.

Omanyala continued his fine form at the Kip Keino Classic on 24 April, reclaiming his title in 9.96 seconds before clocking 9.95 seconds for second place at the Botswana Grand Prix two days later.

At the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China, he anchored Kenya's men's 4x100m relay team to a national record of 38.27 seconds before taking his form onto the Diamond League circuit.

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He finished second in Shanghai in 9.98 seconds before claiming victory in Xiamen in 9.94 seconds to secure only the second Diamond League win of his career.

Omanyala later won the Triveneto Meeting Internazionale in Italy in 10.11 seconds before suffering a rare setback at the Rome Diamond League, where he finished eighth in the same time.

Team Kenya Athletics Squad for the 2026 Commonwealth Games

100m Women