Lwakataka punished over ‘rallying kids’

Dec 15, 2009

FEDERATION of Motorsport clubs of Uganda (FMU) has banned driver Ponsiano Lwakataka for three months and fined him sh500,000 for bringing the sport into disrepute.

By Douglas Mazune

FEDERATION of Motorsport clubs of Uganda (FMU) has banned driver Ponsiano Lwakataka for three months and fined him sh500,000 for bringing the sport into disrepute.

FMU competitions committee punished Lwakataka for registering minors as competitors in the Mbarara Motor Club sprint last month.

“Lwakataka entered his under-age children in the MMC Sprint and the media widely publicised it which affected the image of the sport. Despite a caution from FMU, adverts claiming that the children were to compete in the sprint continued to run on various radio stations,” an FMU official revealed.

The ace driver was also punished for manhandling a policewoman on duty during the same event at the Festino Cite circuit in Mukono. Police has asked FMU to take action against the driver.

Lwakataka, who is also Southern Motor Club president, used minors to promote the MMC Sprint which had been ‘sold’ to him by the Mbarara club. The boys (names withheld) were 10 and 11 years respectively.

Lwakataka was a week ago handed a one-year ban but petitioned seeking to overturn the decision.

FMU instead reduced the suspension to three months with a fine of sh500,000.
Lwakataka who also attended the meeting said he would appeal to the executive.

But the ban does not affect the Champions of Champions Sprint organised by Southern Motor Club at Entebbe Botanical Gardens on December 26.

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