Hindustan Times:

Nursing a career-threatening eye injury, Indian hockey player Baljit Singh will fly to the United States soon to undergo treatment at the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore to regain his full vision.

With the Sports Ministry on Friday agreeing to foot the bill for the trip, decks were cleared for Baljit’s treatment in the renowned hospital.

“The Sports Ministry has given an open-ended clearance to the Director General of Sports Authority of India (SAI) that the Ministry will bear the expense,” a Ministry official said.

“After three days of deliberations between the SAI officials and the head of the opthalmology department at AIIMS, it has been decided to send him to the Johns Hopkins Institute for further advice and treatment. He will be accompanied by a doctor and a family member,” he added.

Incidentally, US swimming sensation Michael Phelps used to visit the same hospital when he was suffering from the Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder in his childhood.

Hockey India secretary Mohammad Aslam Khan said all the modalities are being finalised to send Baljit to USA at the earliest.

Baljit was left with a damaged right eye after a golf ball, with which he was practicing, sneaked through his visor to rupture his globe during the practice in Pune.

The custodian was rushed to the capital that day and he underwent an emergency surgery even though doctors are still not ready to assure that he would regain full vision.

Sports Minister MS Gill had visited him in the hospital and assured him of help.