Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala has set the record straight on why he declined a race challenge from popular YouTuber and live-streamer, IShowSpeed, stating the proposition did not align with his professional standards or financial interests.

During a public forum at Crawford International School on Tuesday, January 20, Omanyala — who holds the African record in the men’s 100m — broke down the reality of elite athletics, emphasizing that his reputation and achievements were built through years of dedicated training, not spontaneous entertainment races.

Omanyala explained that his rigorous preparation schedule involves up to seven hours of daily training for most of the year, making casual race challenges professionally risky.

“Imagine me putting in seven hours of training every day for months, 44 weeks in a year, then someone comes and we race and you pay me with streams and likes. Is it fair?” Omanyala asked.

Omanyala revealed that participating in such an event would require him to pause his structured training for several days, significantly increasing injury risk just weeks before scheduled professional competitions.

He stressed that any injury sustained during a promotional race would be impossible to justify to his sponsors and management team, who have already invested in his upcoming meets through flight bookings and appearance fees.

“For you guys, it’s entertainment, right? But for me it’s an input. I need to prepare for that for like an hour. I need to stop my training for like three days,” Omanyala explained.

Omanyala emphasised the importance of knowing one’s worth in professional sports.

“When you get to a place where you know your value, that’s the most important thing that you can ever carry with you,” he stated, making it clear that his decision was rooted in protecting both his career and the brand he has built over years of hard work.