Aufe dreams of representing PNG in volleyball

Sports

ATHLETES currently participating in the 7th BSP PNG Games in Kimbe all have dreams to one day represent PNG in their respective sporting codes.
And Linda Aufe, pictured, is no exception.
Hailing from Mekeo in the Central province but representing NCD in both volleyball and beach volleyball, 21-year-old hopes the PNG Games experience will bring some good fortune as she aspires to build her sporting career.
“It’s my first time to travel to Kimbe and play for Team NCD in volleyball and beach volleyball and I am very honoured to play in the PNG Games,” Aufe said.
“I play in the Fairfax (volleyball) association in Port Moresby for a club called Hunters and I am one of their power hitters and because of my talent in that competition, I was brought into the squad to represent NCD for the PNG Games.
“I started playing when I was 15 year old in the village at Mekeo. I used to see my family play the game and I was so interested about the game.
“In my family everyone loves the game so I just had to follow them and to end up here now is a dream come true for me.
Aufe says she hopes to make it to the PNG squad one day as she teams up with current PNG representatives, sisters Perpetua and Zoey Awadu who are also members of the NCD volleyball team.
“I have been learning a lot playing with Perpetua and Zoey. They have been helping me because I was nervous when I first came here but now I am more relaxed thanks to the sisters and the rest of my team mates and coaching staff too.
“I think I have gained a lot of experience and I hope this experience will help me to get to where I want to be in the future.”
Aufe is not only representing NCD in volleyball but in beach volleyball as well with team mate Zoey Awadu.
The pair ticked their first box by claiming gold for NCD in women’s beach volleyball while Morobe got silver and Central settled for bronze.
“Even though Aufe is young and new to the PNG Games, she has been really performing and playing alongside her, she is always confident, she trains hard, she’s very vocal and I believe she has what it takes to be a PNG rep in the near future,” Zoey Awadu said.
In men’s beach volleyball, Morobe claimed gold, Central got silver and NCD settled for bronze.