The club was founded in 1930 as KS 21 Shkurti Selenicë and they competed as an amateur team for the majority of their early history, playing against teams representing other towns and cities in Albania at the time. The club first competed in a national competition during the 1949 Albanian Second Division under the name SK Selenicë, where they competed in Group 11 of a 57-team tournament. They faced local sides Mifoli, Ndërmarrja Bujqësore e Shtetit Llakatundi and Narta in Group 11, but none of these sides progressed through to the next round. They competed in the same competing the following season where they were knocked out in the first round by Narta in the first round after losing 1–0 and then 3–0 in a two-legged tie. In 1951, the club was forced by the ruling communist party to change its name to Puna Selenicë; Puna literally translates to 'work'.