Anujan Rajendram

Anujan Rajendram
Personal information
Date of birth	11 May 2000
Place of birth	Hammerfest, Norway
Positions	Midfielder; full-back;
Team information
Current team	Vindbjart FK
Youth career
	Grei
	Grorud
Senior career*
Years	Team
2016–2021	Grorud 2
2021–2023	Oppsal
2021–2022	Oppsal 2
2023	Nordstrand
2023	Nordstrand 2
2023–2024	Oppsal
2024–2025	Strindheim
2024	Strindheim 2
2025	Oppsal Fotball
2026–	Vindbjart FK
International career‡
2024–	Sri Lanka
	* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23 May 2026; ‡ National team caps and goals as of 08 June 2026

Anujan Rajendram (Sinhala: අනුජන් රාජේන්ද්‍රම්, Tamil: அனுஜன் ராஜேந்திரம்; born 11 May 2000) is a footballer who plays as a midfielder or full-back for Norwegian Third Division club Vindbjart FK. Born in Norway, he represents the Sri Lanka at international level.

Club career

Born in Norway to a Sri Lankan Tamil parents and raised in Ammerud, Rajendram began his footballing career with nearby Grei.^[2] He went on to join semi-professional side Grorud, and made his senior debut for their reserve team in the 3. divisjon in 2016.^[3] He spent six seasons with Grorud's reserve team, with the last two being severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway, before joining Oppsal in 2021.^[3]

After two full seasons with Oppsal in the 3. divisjon, Rajendram moved to league rivals Nordstrand in 2023.^[3] However, the move did not last long, and by the end of the season he had returned to Oppsal.^[4] After two seasons with Oppsal, Rajendram moved to PostNord-ligaen side Strindheim in September 2024, shortly after making his international debut.^[5]

International career

Rajendram was first called up to the Sri Lanka national football team in early 2024 ahead of the 2024 FIFA Series in March of the same year.^[6]^[7]^[8] He would have to wait until September 2024 to make his debut, which came in a 0–0 draw with Cambodia in the play-off round of AFC Asian Cup qualification.^[9]

Personal life

As well as football, Rajendram also played handball as a child, and balanced his footballing career with one in futsal, where he represented Grorud and Stovner.^[10]^[11]

Career statistics

Club

As of 30 September 2024^[11]^[12]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			Cup		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Grorud 2	2016	3. divisjon	9	0	–		0	0	9	0
	2017	4. divisjon	14	1	–		0	0	14	1
	2018		7	1	–		0	0	7	1
	2019		16	0	–		2^[a]	1	18	1
	2020	3. divisjon	–^[b]
	2021	3. divisjon	0	0	–		0	0	0	0
	Total		46	2	0	0	2	1	48	3
Oppsal	2021	3. divisjon	11	3	1^[c]	0	0	0	12	3
	2022		21	2	3^[c]	0	0	0	24	2
	2023		0	0	1^[c]	0	0	0	1	0
	Total		32	5	5	0	0	0	37	5
Oppsal 2	2021	4. divisjon	6	1	–		0	0	6	1
	2022	4. divisjon	7	0	–		0	0	7	0
	Total		13	1	0	0	0	0	13	1
Nordstrand	2023	3. divisjon	8	1	1^[c]	0	0	0	9	1
Nordstrand 2	2023	5. divisjon	8	0	–		0	0	8	0
Oppsal	2023	3. divisjon	11	2	0	0	0	0	11	2
	2024	3. divisjon	16	1	2^[c]	0	0	0	18	1
	Total		27	3	2	0	0	0	29	3
Strindheim	2024	PostNord-ligaen	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Strindheim 2	2024	4. divisjon	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Career total			138	12	8	0	2	1	152	13

Notes

↑ Appearances in the 4. divisjon promotion playoffs
↑ The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
1 2 3 4 5 Appearances in the Norwegian Cup

References

↑ Anujan Rajendram at National-Football-Teams.com
↑ Bredesen, Carina Alice (17 October 2008). "Morgendagens midtstopper" [Tomorrow's centre-back]. nettavisen.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2 October 2024.
1 2 3 "Sri Lanka rekrutterer i norsk fotball: - Det er noe med å dra tilbake til moderlandet der mine foreldre vokste opp" [Sri Lanka recruits in Norwegian football: - There is something about going back to the motherland where my parents grew up]. norskfotball.com (in Norwegian). 4 March 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
↑ "Ble matchvinner mot gamleklubben: – Smakte ekstra godt" [Became a match winner against the old club: - Tasted extra good]. dagsavisen.no (in Norwegian). 9 September 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2024. (subscription required)
↑ "Landslagsspiller har signert" [National team player has signed]. strindheimtoppfotball.no (in Norwegian). 18 September 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
↑ "Anujan (23) kan bli Oppsals første A-landslagsspiller" [Anujan (23) can become Oppsal's first A national team player]. noblad.no (in Norwegian). 19 February 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024. (subscription required)
↑ Razick, Muaard (23 February 2024). "FIFA Series in March: SL-origin players called up to strengthen National Pool". themorning.lk. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
↑ "Oppsal-spiller ble historisk: Ble hentet til Sri Lanka" [Oppsal player became historic: Was brought to Sri Lanka]. dagsavisen.no (in Norwegian). 11 April 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024. (subscription required)
↑ "ශ්‍රී ලංකා – කාම්බෝජය අතර සටන 10 දා" [The battle between Sri Lanka and Cambodia on the 10th]. divaina.lk (in Sinhala). 7 September 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
↑ Bredesen, Carina Alice (13 November 2008). ""Nybegynnerhåndball"" ["Beginner handball"]. nettavisen.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2 October 2024.
1 2 Anujan Rajendram at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)
↑ Anujan Rajendram at Soccerway

[13] Appearances in the 4. divisjon promotion playoffs

[14] The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway

[NC-15] 1 2 3 4 5 Appearances in the Norwegian Cup

[NFT-1] Anujan Rajendram at National-Football-Teams.com

[2] Bredesen, Carina Alice (17 October 2008). "Morgendagens midtstopper" [Tomorrow's centre-back]. nettavisen.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2 October 2024.

[nf-3] 1 2 3 "Sri Lanka rekrutterer i norsk fotball: - Det er noe med å dra tilbake til moderlandet der mine foreldre vokste opp" [Sri Lanka recruits in Norwegian football: - There is something about going back to the motherland where my parents grew up]. norskfotball.com (in Norwegian). 4 March 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.

[4] "Ble matchvinner mot gamleklubben: – Smakte ekstra godt" [Became a match winner against the old club: - Tasted extra good]. dagsavisen.no (in Norwegian). 9 September 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2024. (subscription required)

[5] "Landslagsspiller har signert" [National team player has signed]. strindheimtoppfotball.no (in Norwegian). 18 September 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.

[6] "Anujan (23) kan bli Oppsals første A-landslagsspiller" [Anujan (23) can become Oppsal's first A national team player]. noblad.no (in Norwegian). 19 February 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024. (subscription required)

[7] Razick, Muaard (23 February 2024). "FIFA Series in March: SL-origin players called up to strengthen National Pool". themorning.lk. Retrieved 2 October 2024.

[8] "Oppsal-spiller ble historisk: Ble hentet til Sri Lanka" [Oppsal player became historic: Was brought to Sri Lanka]. dagsavisen.no (in Norwegian). 11 April 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024. (subscription required)

[9] "ශ්‍රී ලංකා – කාම්බෝජය අතර සටන 10 දා" [The battle between Sri Lanka and Cambodia on the 10th]. divaina.lk (in Sinhala). 7 September 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.

[10] Bredesen, Carina Alice (13 November 2008). ""Nybegynnerhåndball"" ["Beginner handball"]. nettavisen.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2 October 2024.

[NFF-11] 1 2 Anujan Rajendram at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)

[12] Anujan Rajendram at Soccerway

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