Kenya's sprint king Ferdinand Omanyala has admitted that the 2025 athletics season has been the most challenging of his career, following his failure to qualify for the finals at the Tokyo meet.

Omanyala, who has carried Kenya's hopes on the global sprinting stage, revealed that the year was marked by setbacks, including lingering injuries and the absence of his trademark sub-10 second performances.

Despite the struggles, he insists the season was not without its silver linings.

"There were no sub-10 performances and a couple of injuries along the way," Omanyala said. "Nonetheless, there were so many positives as well from it -- podium finishes, a 150m African Record, and many off-track achievements."

The Commonwealth Games champion acknowledged that the disappointments could have easily derailed his career were it not for the support of his sponsors.

"Your support was instrumental in preventing me from prematurely ending the season," he noted with gratitude.

With the 2025 season now behind him, Omanyala has shifted focus to recovery, both physical and mental.

The sprinter maintains that he is not falling behind but simply walking a path that demands patience.

"I believe that I am not behind, but rather, I am traversing a path that demands greater patience than others," he reflected.