Mahinda Aluwihara, an alumnus of St. Sylvester's College, in Kandy, excelled in multiple sports including football, basketball, athletics, hockey, and boxing.

He captained his school's soccer and basketball teams and competed as a sprinter in short-distance events at the Central Province Group meet.

[2][3] Mahinda led Ceylon Air Force to become the inter-service football champions in 1966, a title they had won for ten consecutive years.

[1][4] Mahinda, known for his long-range free kicks, led numerous clubs from Kandy to gain the upper hand over star-studded teams from Colombo in inter-club competitions.

In the same year, Mahinda played for the Ceylon national team beside his brother Ratnapala Aluwihara at the first Southern Football Pentangular Tournament in Bangalore under the captaincy of C.S.

He beat Indian goalkeeper, Peter Thangaraj, with a "40 yards powerful drive which broke the goal net", as Ceylon eventually lost 3–5.