Indian hockey goalkeeper Baljit Singh will travel to the United States after the sports ministry on Friday gave the go-ahead for his visit for seeking a second opinion and advanced treatment.

“We have been told that Baljit’s file has been processed and the sports ministry has agreed to bear the expenses for the US visit,” Baljit’s father said. “We are now waiting for the visa formalities and hope to leave soon,” he added. Baljit will be seeking a second opinion at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He will be accompanied by Dr Kiran from the AIIMS, who was part of the team that operated upon Baljit, though his name is yet to be officially cleared.

A ministry official said: “The sports ministry has given an open-ended clearance to the Director General of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) that the ministry will bear the expense (after three days of deliberations between the SAI officials and the head of the opthalmology department at AIIMS).”

Hockey India officials also said all decks have been cleared for Baljit’s travel and only visa was awaited.

“His father is likely to accompany him along with a doctor from the AIIMS and all cost will be borne by the government. Since his father doesn’t have a passport, we have initiated the process and he will get it by Monday in Chandigarh. Thereafter, the visa will be applied for and we are hoping he would be able to leave by the end of next week,” Hockey India’s communications manager Anupam Ghulati said.

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