- Asserts blessings from Infantino to run for office
- To friends and foes at Olympic House AGM
The Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) President Jaswar Umar declared himself as a common candidate put forth by a majority of sports associations, as he submitted his nomination on 10 April to contest next week’s election of office bearers to the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka.
The election and the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the NOCSL for the 2025-29 four-year term is scheduled to be held at the Olympic House premises at 4 p.m. on 25 April, and it is to be supervised by a three-member panel helmed by retired Supreme Court (SC) Judge K. T. Chithrasiri.
Umar who spoke to the press immediately afterwards at the adjoining Football House, emphasised that he would totally desist from victimising his opponents upon his eventual triumph at the NOCSL election later this month.
He asserted that he would offer an olive branch to all his foes in an effort to work together to uplift all sports in the country, but insisted that those responsible for mass scale frauds and corruption will be held accountable for their actions under his watch.
“I am not going to go on a witch hunt after I win this election on 25 April” Umar, a shoe-in for the top post and also an influential administrator within the country’s football firmament, confirmed to reporters.
“That is not my agenda. I want to unite all warring factions for the betterment of sports and that will be foremost in my agenda. I have certain plans up my sleeve, but my team intend to go for our goal slowly but surely rather than sprinting towards it.”
Umar stressed that he had decided to contest the looming election following majority consent of sports federations as the common candidate.
However, he was quick to affirm that his first love would always be football, having made a name for himself in a game which was once known here as the poor man’s sport.
Asked whether there would be any conflict of interest for him in serving at both sporting institutions at the same time, the beaming football house chief dismissed such notions arguing that even the head of FIFA currently occupies a position within the director board of the International Olympic Committee.
“Even for your knowledge, FIFA president Gianni Infantino sits on the director board sessions of the IOC,” Umar clarified.
“So how can there be any so-called conflict of interest? In fact, I have the blessings of FIFA, to contest the NOCSL election or else I would not have even made an attempt at it.”
Umar, known for being an outgoing and livewire sports administrator for having masterminded a resurgence in domestic football in the recent past, expressed confidence of prevailing at next week’s election for the Olympic House and reiterated the importance of shedding differences aside.
Pressed as to whether he was prepared to face any last-minute rejection of his nomination, the seasoned sports administrator noted that he was braced for any eventuality and observed that he would respond to such a development through the proper channels.
He opined that the Court of Appeal has already thrown out baseless charges directed at him as per the Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena Committee report commissioned by ex- Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe, which had cleared the path for him to contest the FFSL AGM in 2023.
Therefore, he argued if he had been absolved of charges by the land’s second Apex Court, how his adversaries could scuttle his ascent to the summit of the Olympic House.
The Sri Lanka Modern Pentathlon Federation (SLMPF) President Nishantha Piyasena who has submitted his nomination to contest the post of General Secretary from the Jaswar Umar faction, stated that they were intent on rebuilding the tarnished image of the Olympic House.
He added that once the tainted reputation of the NOCSL is rebuilt, they will look to improve its declining coffers, while implementing necessary systems for federations to identify disciplines which could produce medal-winning athletes at future global events.