From Cricketing Leadership to Pioneering Space Law: Nandi

   Nandasiri Jasentuliyana Today ….. and THEN when he led the Southern Province Schools Team against the Australian Schoolboy Team in 1958

The First Australian Schools team to visit Ceylon seen in 1958 with the Combined Schools Team that played in Galle with Nandi Jasentulyana (aka JLN De Silva then)as Skipper (seated in centre) …..

Standing l to r: NM Pinnaduwa, Percy Amendra, Nalin Pieris, Sriman Jayawickrama, Hyndley Perera, Hemasirie fernando, Stanley Amendra, H. Hamilton, Lalith Fernando.

I had played against Nandasiri at various levels in previous years (and my fallible memory registers him as a “de Silva” then). He was an aggressive batsman and a sportsman to the core …. as indeed all of us, the Amendras, DH and DP de Silvas, Anwer Jawath, Cedric Auwardt and Johnny de Silva etc etc ALL were those days. There was no thought of heckling or sledging then. One of my indelible memories is when, as a rookie batsman of a defensive type in my first year, I partnered Carlyle Rodrigo in a longish batting recovery stand for the 5th wicket and suddenly unleashed a back foot punch for four to the square-leg boundary off Somasiri. Guess what? DP de Silva at gully clapped in appreciation.

So…. Nandi’s cricket team PIX is a golden memory.

We have not met for years, but he has carved out a remarkable career and is a leading authority in space law. Let me guide you to some of his explorations beyond the cricket field.

SUMMARY CV: NANDASIRI (NANDI) JASENTULIUYANA

He was formerly the Deputy Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna and Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. He is President Emeritus of the International Institute of Space Law & Policy.

He holds advanced degrees in Law and International Relations from the Universities of Ceylon, London and McGill, and is an Attorney-at-Law. He holds Diplomas in Aerospace Law and International and Comparative Law.

Jasentuliyana is the author of the four-volume “Manual of Space Law”, Oceana (1979), “International Space Law and the United Nations”, Kluwer Law (1999); “Perspectives on International Law”, Kluwer (1995); “International Space Programs and Policies”, North-Holland (1984); and editor of “Space Law: Development and Scope”, Praeger (1991); and “Maintaining Outer Space for Peaceful Uses”, United Nations University (1984).

He was the Recipient of the 1982 Testimonial Award of International Astronautical Federation (IAF) awarded annually in the recognition of important contributions to space law and policy and the 1989 Leadership Award of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). He was selected by the United States National Space Society to its unique world-wide list of “100 space people who have had the greatest impact on our lives”.

He has been a visiting lecturer at Princeton, Stanford, Columbia and McGill Universities and had been a guest lecturer at several universities in Europe and Asia. He is a member of the Board of Directors of International Space University (ISU), and served as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the “Journal of Space Policy”, published in the United Kingdom, and the “Journal of Space Law”, published in the United States.

He is an old boy of Richmond College, Galle where he captained the cricket, soccer and athletic teams and won the All-Round Student of the Year Award in 1958.