Japana Jayawardena

Brigadier Jayadeva Prakrama Amarasekera Jayawardena also simply known as Japana Jayawardena or Jupana Jayawardena (born 25 October 1947) is a former Sri Lankan rugby union player, administrator and military officer. During his playing career, he predominantly played in the position of scrum half. He had served in as the director of the Sri Lanka Army Ordnance Corps.

Biography His original birthname was Jayadeva Prakrama Amarasekera Jayawardena but it was shortened to Japana Jayawardena, as one of his friends called him at Trinity College as Japana, referring to his first letters that feature in his fullname J-P-A and ending letters of his fullname NA. After his schooling years, he ventured into club rugby. Japana represented Havelock Sports Club from 1967 to 1969, before switching his allegiance for Sri Lanka Army Sports Club in 1970. He turned up for Sri Lanka Army Sports Club until 1974 and captained the side in his final year with the club.

He also endured a stint as the chairman of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union. He also received membership of the Sri Lanka Rugby Referees Association and he also went onto serve as the President of Sri Lanka Rugby Referees Association for a brief stint. He was at the forefront in laying a foundation to form the Central Provincial Referees Society, and he served as its founder president. Reportedly, he was also the fulcrum of the women's rugby in Sri Lanka, having spearheaded the effort to play a pivotal role in introducing the sport to women in Sri Lanka when the sport was only played among men due to it being a physical contact sport played with endurance and stamina.

In 2014, he was conferred with the life membership of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union as it was announced during its Annual General Meeting in recognition of his contributions towards the development and uplifting of the standards of rugby in Sri Lanka.