Jaswar Umar | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jaswar Umaru Lebbe |
| Occupation | Football administrator |
| Known for | President of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka |
Jaswar Umar (listed by FIFA as Jaswar Umaru Lebbe) is a Sri Lankan football administrator and former football referee who serves as the president of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL). He has also held administrative positions within Asian and South Asian football organisations.
Umar previously served as general secretary of the FFSL before being elected president in June 2021. He was re-elected in September 2023 following a period of disputes over the federation's governance and electoral process.
Umar began his career in football as a referee before moving into football administration. In January 2016, The Sunday Times reported that he had been appointed an international match commissioner of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) after completing a match commissioner examination in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
He subsequently served in administrative roles within the FFSL, including general secretary and deputy general secretary, before contesting the federation's presidential election in 2021.
Umar was elected president of Football Sri Lanka on 30 June 2021, receiving 96 votes against 90 for his opponent, Manil Fernando.
During his first presidency, the federation introduced the Football Sri Lanka Super League, a ten-team semi-professional competition that incorporated club-licensing requirements based on AFC guidelines. FIFA reported on the league's introduction in September 2022 and described its provisions relating to youth development, medical care, child protection and anti-racism policies.
In September 2022, Umar met FIFA president Gianni Infantino in Doha to discuss football development in Sri Lanka. FIFA also reported Umar's election to the executive committees of the AFC and the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) in July 2022.
In January 2023, Umar's attempt to contest the FFSL presidential election was rejected by the Department of Sports Development following a protest. J. Sri Ranga was subsequently elected president of the federation.
During this period, FIFA suspended the FFSL in January 2023 over government interference. The suspension was lifted on 28 August 2023, after which FIFA and the AFC continued to monitor the federation's electoral process.
Umar was re-elected president on 29 September 2023, receiving 45 votes against 20 for his opponent, Thilanga Dakshitha Sumathipala. The election was conducted under the scrutiny of FIFA and the AFC.
The federation's governance and financial administration were subjects of public debate during this period. In October 2023, The Sunday Times published a report examining outstanding questions concerning the new administration and the management of the federation.
In March 2024, Sri Lanka hosted matches in the inaugural FIFA Series, an international football initiative that brought together national teams from different confederations. The tournament in Colombo featured Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Central African Republic and Papua New Guinea.
Umar described the tournament as an opportunity for Sri Lankan football to gain experience in hosting international competitions and to create opportunities for players, coaches and federation officials. The event followed renovations to Colombo's Racecourse Ground supported by the FIFA Forward Programme.
In October 2025, Daily Mirror reported that FIFA had appointed Umar to its Committee for Grassroots and Amateur Football.
In August 2026, Umar was elected unopposed as vice president of SAFF for the 2026–2030 term at an executive committee meeting in Bhutan. The election was reported to have received the support of all seven member associations.