COLOMBO, April 19 (ePRESS) — All objections against Jaswar Umar have been dismissed, clearing a major hurdle in the race for the presidency of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka and strengthening his position as the leading candidate ahead of the April 25 election.
The independent Election Committee ruled against three objections filed earlier this week, confirming Umar’s eligibility to contest. The decision marks a decisive turning point in the closely watched election.
Further backing the outcome, the Olympic Council of Asia confirmed that Umar is not under investigation by either the International Olympic Committee or the OCA, removing all doubts over his candidacy.
The objections, submitted by Prithiviraj Pereira, Mohamed Rifdy Fahmy and Sunil Senaweera, were reviewed in detail after Umar responded with legal submissions through an international sports law firm.
The Election Committee, chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice K.T. Chitrasiri alongside Justice Piyasena Ranasinghe and President’s Counsel Harsha Amarasekera, dismissed all three objections after evaluating the written evidence.
In a separate development, the OCA issued a strong directive to outgoing NOCSL President Suresh Subramaniam, stressing that the election must be conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner without any discrimination or outside influence.
The OCA also made clear that there will be no automatic extension of the current administration if legal action is used to delay the vote.
With the objections cleared, Umar—who has secured nominations from a majority of national federations—now stands firmly as the frontrunner in the race.
Widely known for his international links and active role in global sports bodies, Umar is seen by many as a figure capable of restoring credibility and driving reform in Sri Lanka’s sports administration.
The NOCSL election will take place on April 25 at the Duncan White Auditorium at the Sports Ministry in Colombo, with growing speculation that some candidates may step aside as support consolidates around Umar.
