Commitment, dedication pay off for Aisa

AN achievement in life can always be traced to other people’s input and support, just as the saying goes – no man is an island.
It is true for Patrick Aisa, who has proven to be one of PNG’s top strikers while playing with the PNG national men’s team the Kapuls.
The 23-year-old’s success not only comes from his personal commitment and dedication to training but is also attributed to the priceless support of his mother, Linda Aisa.
Linda now resides in her village in Markham, Morobe, and considering the remoteness of her location, Patrick was unsure whether she was aware of the news about him signing a contract with the New Zealand semi-professional football club Hamilton Wanderers for one season.
“This opportunity is a blessing from God and a dream  come  true for me. Ever since I started playing football, I wanted to go out and play in other countries, and now that opportunity has come,” Aisa said.
Of course the young man from the Morobe and Central (Mekeo) provinces has a lot of people to thank including his former PNG Under-23 coach Ricki Herbert, who is the new coach of Hamilton, and his current assistant coach with the Kapuls Reginald Davani.
However, a lot of inspiration and motivation off the field came from his mother.
“Everywhere I go and everywhere I play, I always think of my mother and how hard she worked to raise me up to be the person I am now,” he said.
“I dedicate every game I play to her and she always supports me and prays for me. She always tells me that life is full of opportunities, good ones and bad ones but we have to make use of the good ones and do away with the bad ones.
“I always treasure her words of encouragement and every time I achieve something in life I see the fruits of her advice.
“I haven’t told my mother yet. I want it to be a surprise and if she happens to find out through this article then I’ll be very happy if she gets the news.”
Playing in Hamilton is seen as a pathway to Aisa and reach greater heights in football.
One of his goals is to experience the top level of football  to become a professional following the likes of his Kapuls teammates David Browne and Nigel Dabinyaba.
In the meantime, Aisa is waiting for his visa to be sorted out.