The Confederation of Africa Motor Sport (CACMS) has cancelled Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally which was set for May 30-June 1 from this year’s FIA African Rally Championship.

According to a copied e-mail forwarded to Times Sport yesterday, CACMS Chairman Surinder Thatthi informed all registered drivers for this year’s African Rally Championship that Rwanda Gorilla rally was cancelled out of this year’s championship due to lack of available sponsorship.

The Rwanda Automobile Club (RAC) president Dismas Kayibanda also confirmed the development yesterday. Kayibanda said, "We pulled out of this year’s African Rally championship due to multiple reasons with lack of sponsorship as the major problem encountered in preparation and running the event.”

"We informed ARC because we had no option thus requesting them to honor our withdrawal,” Kayibanda said.

"Despite pulling out of this year’s African Championship, a better organized and sponsored Rwanda Mountain Gorilla rally returns next year,” Kayibanda added.

Kayibanda further added that Rwanda Gorilla Rally would still run on the national calendar on the same dates and is set to be made international, accorded with FIA rules.

"We hope to make it open to all drivers thus will be named Rwanda Gorilla International rally with an aim of attracting many European and African drivers.”

According to Kayibanda, participants will not be awarded points just like in the African Championship but local drivers are set to battle for points since it’s a national calendar event.

Last year’s event that was won by Zimbabwe’s Conrad Rautenbach was sponsored by ORTPN, Hotel Novotel, Sonarwa, Rwandair, Rwanda National Police and Dalbit Petroleum.

Kayibanda has requested cooperate companies to come forward and sponsor Rwanda Hotel La Palisse Nyandungu has offered to give offices for the local body to cater for the preparation as well accommodation for participants in this year’s Rwanda Gorilla International Rally.

In a related development, the Zambia rally which scheduled was for July 18-20 has been postponed to September 19-21 due to lack of hospitality sponsorship.

The next event on the African rally championship is the KCB Safari Rally set for June 27-29 in Kenya after the Uganda Pearl rally set for this weekend in Kampala.

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