Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) President Jaswar Umar has been unanimously elected as the Vice President of the South Asian Football Federation.
The election took place during the executive committee meeting of the regional governing body held in Bhutan, where representatives from all seven member nations voted to back his candidacy.
All member associations across the region, including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, cast their votes in complete alignment to endorse the Sri Lankan football chief.
This regional elevation follows a period of notable progress for local football under the leadership of Umar, who assumed the FFSL presidency just over two years ago.
During his initial tenure, the Sri Lankan national men’s team experienced a significant surge in international standings, rising over 20 positions in the FIFA World Rankings from 207 to 187.
This climb marks the nation’s highest FIFA ranking in more than 15 years.
The current administration has implemented structural reforms across domestic football, focused on governance standards, expanded grass-roots development programmes, and enhanced investment in youth competitions.
Umar already holds administrative roles on the global and continental stage as a committee member for both the FIFA Grassroots Football Committee and the AFC Development Committee.
The elevation of Sri Lanka’s top football administrator to a senior regional executive role highlights the country’s growing diplomatic influence within international sports governance while signaling potential opportunities to attract future regional funding, infrastructure development, and tournament hosting rights to the island.
Following this administrative milestone, attention shifts to performance on the pitch as the Sri Lanka national team prepares for the upcoming SAFF Championship in November, where the squad aims to secure the regional title for the first time in decades.
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