Rajender Kumar practises before the national camp. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, May 15: After missing two chances for a slot in the national camp by a whisker, Rajender Kumar has finally made it.

The 16-year-old will be heading to Delhi for the national preparatory training camp later this month, to train before the upcoming matches in Pakistan.

A member of Tata Steel Handball Training Centre, Rajender, a second-year (commerce) student of Karim City College, said: “It feels nice. I had all the chances of getting calls for camps in Himachal Pradesh and Manipur last year but things did not materialise then.”

A resident of Adityapur, Rajender took up handball in 2002 and has been able to gradually improve his game. His height is aptly suited for the position of a left back. Training centre chief coach Firoz Khan said: “His height is an advantage. He likes to play in an attacking manner and the height comes handy in shooting from a good height.”

The national camp is scheduled in Delhi in the last week of May and the Indian team will cross the border next month, to play five matches. Rajender was inclined to become a footballer. “But, things changed after some of my friends suggested I try my hands at handball or basketball. I chose the former and am not regretting it,” he said.