In a major blow to the Indian hockey team, goalkeeper Baljit Singh suffered a serious eye injury after being hit by a golf ball during practice late on Friday evening.

Baljit was operated upon at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Saturday but doctors are non-committal on his possibility of getting perfect vision back or being able to play again. The 28-year-old was hit in the right eye during practice at the Shiv Chhatrapati Stadium in Pune and was immediately rushed to a hospital. The ultrasonography tests and scans done in Pune showed that the globe of his eye had ruptured, affecting the retina, lens and the cornea, and he was airlifted to Delhi early on Saturday.

Hockey India secretary general Mohammad Aslam Khan said as of now, his retina has been cleaned of the excess blood and the doctors have tried to get it back in place. “It is a freak injury but a major one. He will be operated upon in stages, this is only the first stage. As of now, nothing can be said but the whole process will take at least three months according to the doctors,” he said.

Baljit was operated upon by a team of 10 surgeons led by AIIMS cornea specialist Dr Sudershan Khokhar. Sources say that while all possible medical care was being provided, it was too early to say whether he would suffer any loss of sight, though chances of Baljit being able to play professionally again appear slim. Hockey India sources also said that, even after the entire reconstructive surgery process, Baljit will take at least four-five months to get back to normal.

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