Kandy have produced some of the most iconic football players in the past and one of the best was Mahinda Aluwihare, a product of St. Sylvester’s College.

He is one of those who enjoyed an uninterrupted stay at the top spot. His overwhelming debut as a professional football player quickly resulted in a place in the national team.

Aluwihara was one of the best footballers the country has seen in the early days. He was quick, strong, a good ‘header’ and a dribbler of the ball but above all, he possessed a powerful and accurate strike with both legs.

A fine all-round player, his football journey began in the mid 1950’s. It was at St. Sylvester’s that he served first in football and later he played for Kandy Schools and also for the Combined Schools Team.

While at school he played for Young Wanders Sports Club Katukelle and later for Kandy, Up-country and All-Ceylon.

He was also a good hockey player, boxer and a fine basketball shooter. He had the privilege of leading the school football, hockey and basketball teams.

In 1961 he joined the Royal Ceylon Air Force and excelled in football, athletics, basketball and boxing.

A very strongly built six-footer, he was famous for long-kicks and team leadership. Aluwihare first sported the Sri Lanka jersey in 1961 at the third Asian Youth Football Competition in Thailand.

Some of his teammates during that time were P. H. S. Albert, M. A. Ameer, Ananda Weerasekara, Basil Fonseka, M. Sivaratnam, Edward Wickramsuriya, B. H. H. Sally, Nizam Hajireen and H. A. Jayatissa.

In that very same year in 1961, he had the opportunity of playing for the country under another Kandy product – C. S. Fernando, an old Rajan and some others who played with him were P. D. Sirisena, B. Sourjha, M. M. Hashimdeen, Piyadasa Perera, A. Ignatius, A. Vandergert, S. M. Noor and W. S. Boteju.

He led the Air Force Team in 1966 in the Inter-Service Tournament and also toured with the national team for the Agha Khan Gold Cup Football Tournament in Dhaka and also played in the European tour in 1968.

His most memorable performance was in 1968, the year he was bestowed to lead the country.

In that year, Sri Lanka had a European tour and played few games. The tour was taken up at a high level.

The tours of this nature were limited in any sport. On that tour his teammates were S. P. de Sylva, A. Zainulabdeen, Tuan Amidon, S. M. Noor, M. A. Fernando, P. H. S. Albert, P. D. Sirisena, M. Hazmath, M. A. Ameer, Lionel Peiris and M. M. Hasimdeen.

After leaving the Air Force, he joined the Bank of Ceylon Security Services and gave a big hand for Kandy football and to his school.

He was heavily involved with the school Old Boys’ Association, where he was the Secretary. Aluvihare has led the national team in eight international matches and was one time chairman of the selection committee of Sri Lanka Football.

The other members in that panel were M. A. V. Fernando, M. Subani Hashimdeen, M. Sivaratnam, Harold Anthony and C. S. Fernando.

Aluwihare was one of the finest centre halves the country has produced.

Aluwihare insisted that practices and training sessions should be regular and should be conducted methodically. Aluwihare maintained that tournaments should be conducted at District level and the District championships should be conducted at Provincial level.