Mahinda Aluwihare worked hard for improvement of football

by Hafiz Marikar

A great Football star .... Late Mahinda Aluwihare's prowess in football was founded by St. Sylvester's College, Kandy in the period after Sri Lanka obtained it's Independence. Mahinda enjoyed an uninterrupted stay at the top spot regarded by fans as a golden era. His overwhelming debut as a professional football player quickly resulted in a place in the National Team.

Mahinda Aluwihara was one of the best footballers the country has produced. He was quick, strong, a good 'header' and dribbler of the ball, but above all, he possessed a powerfull and accurate strike in both legs, a fine all round-ball player, and his football journey began mid 1950's.

It was for his school he served first in football. He played for Kandy schools and also for the Combined Schools team. While at school, he played for Young Wanders Sports Club, and later for Kandy, Cup-Country and All-Ceylon.

He was also a good hockey player, boxer and also was a fine basketball shooter. He had the privilege of leading the school's 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 in height, was famous for long kicks, and team leadership. Mahinda first sported the Sri Lanka jersey in 1961 at the 3rd 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, and Nizam Hajireen and H.A. Jayatissa.

In that very same year in 1961, he got the opportunity of playing for the country under another Kandy product - C.S. Fernando, and some others who played with him were P.D. Sirisena, Sourjha, M.M. Hashimdeen, Piyadasa Perera, A. Ignatius, A. Vandergert, S.M. Noor, W.S. Boteju. He got the 'break' of leading this favourite team 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 Dacca, 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, they 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 his best friend from Kandy football. S.M. Noor, M.A. Fernando, P.H.S. Albert, P.D. Sirisena, M Hazmath, M.A. Ameer, Lionel Peries, M.M. Hasimdeen.

During his playing carrier Mahinda Aluwihare made his school, St. Sylvester's, the two clubs Young Wanders SC and Air Force SC, Kandy and also the country proud. A person of Mahinda's Aluwihare's calibre will not be forgotten on the football field. After leaving the Air Force, he joined the Bank of Ceylon Security Services, and at one time was housed in Kandy during that time.

He gave a big hand for Kandy football and to his school. He was heavily involved with the school old boys association, where he was Secretary.

Mahinda 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 Hashim Deen, M. Sivaratnam, Harold Anthony and C.S. Fernando.

Mahinda Aluwihara, who started his illustrious football career in Kandy, lauded by the pundits of the game as one of the finest centre half's the country has produced. He was living, very close to my residence at Poonawatte Kandy, where he later passed away.

Aluwihare used to say in the good old days that standard of outstation football was such that the outstation teams never played second fiddle to star-studed studded Colombo Clubs. Clubs from Badulla, Jaffna, Kandy, Galle and Trincomalee had taken the upper hard of the Colombo Clubs on many occasions.

In Colombo, when outstation teams were billed to play, thousands queued to obtain tickets. Although the usual fights and scuffles between rival supporters erupted in crucial matches, the players always maintained a level of healthy rivalry. Aluwihare's insistence in football was that practices and training session should be regular and conducted methodically. Football gear at that time when Mahinda and his friends were in the game were within the reach of the players.

In the conduct of tournaments, Mahinda Aluwihare maintained that tournaments should be conducted at district level, and district Championships to be conducted at provincial level. The provincial championships to be conducted at national level.

Mahinda Aluwihare devoted his life to the welfare of the football players and the game flourished during the days he was actively involved!