Kenyan sprint champion Ferdinand Omanyala becomes Team Visa’s new Global Brand Ambassador

Visa, a global leader in digital payments, has picked African sprint champion Ferdinand Omanyala as Team Visa’s newest Global Brand Ambassador.

Omanyala now joins a diverse and impressive roster of Team Visa athletes from across the world, who are preparing to compete at The Olympic & Paralympic Games Paris 2024. 

Team Visa aids athletes financially, with their philanthropic engagements, financial literacy tools, and mental health and wellness resources to prosper personally and professionally. 

Visa has touted Omanyala as an incredible addition to Team Visa given he is also a powerful voice that inspires fans of athletics in Kenya, Africa and other countries across the world. 

In August 2021, Omanyala became the first Kenyan sprinter to break the 10-second barrier before he achieved a new African record of 9.77 seconds in September of the same year. 

The sprinter officially became the African champion in June 2022, before he bagged Kenya’s first 100m gold at the Commonwealth Games in August, the country’s first in 60 years.

“Africa has borne witness to the rise of an exceptional talent in the sprinting arena over the last three years as Omanyala has continually broken new ground in his career, and we are proud to welcome Omanyala to Team Visa and champion all that he stands for,” said Visa Acting General Manager for East Africa, Eva Ngigi-Sarwari. 

She added: “Omanyala is an example of what hard work and dedication can do to achieve your dreams, while inspiring the next generation.”

Since 2000, the Team Visa athlete program has championed more than 600 Olympic and Paralympic athletes selected based on their athletic achievements, community involvement, and alignment with Visa’s core values of equality, access, and inclusion.

Athletes are picked based on athletic achievements, personal journey, and social impact, in line with Visa’s brand values and priorities that include diversity, equity, inclusion and pledge to uplifting their communities. 

“I started my career at a young age and even if I’m still learning, I’m trying to use my voice and become a role model for other young people,” said Ferdinand Omanyala. 

He added, “Joining Team Visa with so many incredible athletes will help me continue to advocate for what’s important to me, advancing the sport and social issues that matter most to me.” 

To learn more about Visa’s support for athletes, please visit: Team Visa Visa Welcomes More than a Hundred Athletes to Team Visa Ahead of Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 | Visa.