While most athletes were taking their time to prepare themselves for the most significant race of the season, 26-year-old sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala was barely able to make it in time for this week’s World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Omanyala is one of the fastest sprinters in the world, with multiple world records and recognition as Africa’s fastest man. The Kenyan planned on flying to Oregon on Monday, however, his plans were abruptly halted. One day before his race on Friday night, Omanyala had still not received a U.S visa. Without a visa, he would not have been able to compete in the most crucial competition of this season.
Luckily, the document arrived in the nick of time and Omanyala rushed onto a plane to Oregon. He flew for a total of 20 hours from Nairobi to Eugene and landed only three hours before his race. Fatigued from flying, Omanyala was not in peak condition and was eliminated in the semifinals.
Omanyala applied for a U.S visa with the rest of the Kenyan world team weeks before the race. Most of the other Kenyan athletes received their visas the following day, but Omanyala was not granted a visa for unknown reasons.
Omanyala described the situation as “really disappointing”. By the time he had woken up on Thursday morning, the day before his race, “[He] had already given up coming here.”
Unfortunately, there is not a clear explanation for the prolonged delay. Visas are confidential by law, and therefore federal agencies “cannot discuss the details of individual visa cases” according to Andrew Veveiros, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi.
Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations launched a probe into the circumstances behind the delay in Omanyala’s visa. They found that there were concerns around bribery allegations between Kenyan officials, and Omanyala failed to disclose specific information in his visa application.
On the other hand, Omanyala’s manager, Marcel Viljoen, doubts that explanation. “As far as I know the whole team went to the embassy at the same time. Ferdinand is accustomed to the process and definitely knows the implications of leaving out information. So I doubt it.”
Many runners, officials, and fans have expressed their dissent against the unfair treatment that put Omanyala at an extreme disadvantage. Many social media users are accusing the U.S of “deliberately” holding Omanyala’s visa due to fear that he would outrun American sprinters.
This situation has brought to light the extreme difficulties of traveling internationally for everyone, even elite athletes.
Source: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1658069023865x991502925473258400/Ferdinand%20Omanyala%20visa%20delay_%20Outcry%20after%20top%20Kenyan%20sprinter%20nearly%20misses%20championships%20-%20The%20Washington%20Post.pdf
Omanyala is one of the fastest sprinters in the world, with multiple world records and recognition as Africa’s fastest man. The Kenyan planned on flying to Oregon on Monday, however, his plans were abruptly halted. One day before his race on Friday night, Omanyala had still not received a U.S visa. Without a visa, he would not have been able to compete in the most crucial competition of this season.
Luckily, the document arrived in the nick of time and Omanyala rushed onto a plane to Oregon. He flew for a total of 20 hours from Nairobi to Eugene and landed only three hours before his race. Fatigued from flying, Omanyala was not in peak condition and was eliminated in the semifinals.
Omanyala applied for a U.S visa with the rest of the Kenyan world team weeks before the race. Most of the other Kenyan athletes received their visas the following day, but Omanyala was not granted a visa for unknown reasons.
Omanyala described the situation as “really disappointing”. By the time he had woken up on Thursday morning, the day before his race, “[He] had already given up coming here.”
Unfortunately, there is not a clear explanation for the prolonged delay. Visas are confidential by law, and therefore federal agencies “cannot discuss the details of individual visa cases” according to Andrew Veveiros, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi.
Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations launched a probe into the circumstances behind the delay in Omanyala’s visa. They found that there were concerns around bribery allegations between Kenyan officials, and Omanyala failed to disclose specific information in his visa application.
On the other hand, Omanyala’s manager, Marcel Viljoen, doubts that explanation. “As far as I know the whole team went to the embassy at the same time. Ferdinand is accustomed to the process and definitely knows the implications of leaving out information. So I doubt it.”
Many runners, officials, and fans have expressed their dissent against the unfair treatment that put Omanyala at an extreme disadvantage. Many social media users are accusing the U.S of “deliberately” holding Omanyala’s visa due to fear that he would outrun American sprinters.
This situation has brought to light the extreme difficulties of traveling internationally for everyone, even elite athletes.
Source: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1658069023865x991502925473258400/Ferdinand%20Omanyala%20visa%20delay_%20Outcry%20after%20top%20Kenyan%20sprinter%20nearly%20misses%20championships%20-%20The%20Washington%20Post.pdf
