Colombo, Sri Lanka – 19 April 2026
In a significant development ahead of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) elections, all objections filed against the candidacy of Jaswar Umar, President of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka, have been formally dismissed by the independent Election Committee.
Further reinforcing this outcome, an official communication from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has confirmed that Jaswar Umar is not under investigation by either the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or the OCA, thereby removing any uncertainty regarding his eligibility to contest.
Earlier this week, following the acceptance of nominations, three objections were submitted against Jaswar Umar’s candidacy by Prithiviraj Pereira, Mohamed Rifdy Fahmy, and Sunil Senaweera.
In response, Jaswar Umar presented comprehensive counter-submissions through a Switzerland-based law firm specializing in international sports law and arbitration.
After a thorough evaluation of all written submissions, the Election Committee—chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice K. T. Chitrasiri, together with Justice Piyasena Ranasinghe and President’s Counsel Harsha Amarasekera—dismissed all three objections on their merits.
Amid the ongoing electoral process, the OCA has also issued a strong directive to the outgoing NOCSL President, Suresh Subramaniam, underscoring that the election must be conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner, without discrimination or undue influence. The communication further clarified that there will be no automatic extension of the current administration in the event of legal challenges or attempts to delay the election.
With these developments, Jaswar Umar—who has been nominated by a significant majority of national federations—emerges as the leading candidate for the presidency of the NOCSL, putting to rest widespread speculation regarding his eligibility.
Recognized for his strong international standing and extensive engagement within global sports institutions, Jaswar Umar is widely viewed as a candidate capable of restoring credibility and driving meaningful development across Sri Lanka’s sporting sector.
The NOCSL election is scheduled to be held on 25 April 2026. There is growing anticipation that some candidates may reconsider their positions in light of the prevailing majority support for Jaswar Umar, potentially enabling a more unified and constructive path forward for sports governance in Sri Lanka.
