UTA given deadline

By Douglas Mazune NATIONAL Council of Sport has ordered troubled Uganda Tennis Association (UTA) to have in place a constitutionally elected executive in two months. Abbey Lutaya, the NCS general secretary, this week wrote to UTA, whose executive is in office beyond their term, to hold elections by December 16. The last UTA elections for a two-year term were in January 1999. No annual general meeting has been held since. NCS assistant secretary John Odyek confirmed yesterday that NCS has communicated to UTA general secretary Gideon Karyoko about the assembly. “We have reminded them that their assembly is overdue. They should hold it as soon a possible but not later than December 15,” Odyek told The New Vision yesterday. “It is a normal practice that associations hold general assemblies.” The UTA executive has met only twice since it was elected in 1999 . UTA assistant treasurer John Sewamala also last week revealed that Karyoko and the chairman Peter Ntaki have rendered a section of the executive redundant. Efforts to get a comment from Ntaki were futile, as he said he does not talk to the press on his cellular phone. Lugogo tennis club, the most active club in the country, protested UTA leadership’s illegal stay in power recently after doubts were raised about the future of the Bell tennis Open. Leading player John Oduke also blasted the association. ends