Indian hockey goalie may lose eyesight

New Delhi: Indian hockey team's goalkeeper Baljit Singh underwent a critical operation on his right eye on Saturday after he suffered a serious injury during training at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune.


On Friday Baljit was struck on his eye while practising with a golf ball during a session with goalkeeping coach Romeo James in Pune, where the team is practising for its European tour starting July 24.


The impact was so hard that it damaged his retina, cornea and lens of his eye. He was immediately flown to Delhi and underwent a three-hour operation at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) under cornea specialist Sudershan Khokhar.


Baljit will be kept under observation for the next few days. Hockey India and the Sports Authority of India will bear the cost of the player's medical expenses.


Baljit will now be replaced in the 22 member squad by P R Sreejesh. India will play 12 Tests in England, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands during its four-week tour


Get Well Soon Baljit

Baljit's eye still critical, Hockey India pledges support


NEW DELHI: A day after Baljit Singh underwent a surgery on his damaged right eye, doctors said the goalkeeper's condition remains critical even though Hockey India vowed to explore every possibility, including treating abroad, to help him regain full vision.


Even though Saturday's three-hour operation at AIIMS went off well, Dr Tushar Aggarwal, Assistant Professor in the Department of Opthalmology, said the condition of Baljit's eye was still serious.

"His (Baljit's) eye is still in a critical condition. We have managed to repair it but right now we cannot comment whether he will get full vision back," Dr Aggarwal said.

"Now we will have to just wait and watch. We will decide his future course of treatment depending on his recovery from the surgery," he said.

Asked whether the injured eye would require another surgery, Dr Aggarwal said, "No, not now. We will take a call on whether he needs another surgery only after assessing his recovery."

Baljit was hit on his eye on Friday in Pune while practising with golf ball that sneaked through the visor of his helmet to damage his eye which ruled him out of the Indian team's European tour starting July 24.

Meanwhile, Hockey India secretary general Mohd Aslam Khan said they are constantly monitoring Baljit's condition and if needed, they are open to the idea of sending the goalkeeper abroad for further treatment.

"He is doing well now after the surgery but it is such a injury which will take time to heal," Aslam said.

"In future if there is any requirement to send him out of the country for treatment, we are ready for it," Aslam said.

Aslam has also requested Union Minister of State for Health Dinesh Trivedi to provide best possible treatment to the custodian.

The 28-year-old national goalkeeper has been replaced in the Europe-bound team by PR Sreejesh for the four-week tour, during which India is scheduled to play 12 Test matches against England, Belgium, Spain and Holland.

Ultrasonography tests carried out in Pune had showed the globe to have shrunken and deformed with the intra-ocular contents showing heterogeneous appearance with hemorrhage in the vitreous. The rupture has damaged the retina, cornea and lens of Baljit's right eye.

Baljit was rushed to Delhi on Saturday to undergo an emergency operation by a team of surgeons led by cornea specialist Dr Sudershan Khokhar.