Sri Lanka, Sept. 25 -- Kandy's football lovers remember the late Mahinda Aluwihare, and are all out to bring in a tournament in his name. He was a prominent Sri Lankan footballer from Kandy, a product of St. Sylvester's College and was considered one of the best midfielders in Asia during his career in the 1960s and 70s. He played for Kandy-based clubs, Ceylon Air Force, Defence Services team and the Ceylon team.
He led the Air Force team to win the inter-service football championship in 1966. Mahinda was one of the footballers 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.
He was quick, strong, a good 'header' and a dribbler of ...