Hurt Baljit lashes out at HI

Goalkeeper Baljit Singh on Saturday lashed out at Hockey India for axing him from the national camp probables’ shortlist, saying he was extremely hurt.

“I am extremely hurt at the injustice done to me,” said Baljit at a press conference at the KSHA stadium on Saturday evening. “I think the HI selectors have failed to respect players’ sentiments.

“I would not have been bothered had they dropped me on the basis of performance. But the reason they gave me is my poor vision,” said the 30-year-old, on a comeback trail after sustaining a serious right eye injury during training almost two years back to the day, on July 17, 2009, in Pune.

“The selectors were completely aware that the vision on my right eye was not 100 percent. I was called for the probables’ camp purely based on my good performances in the National Games and the National championships. Why should I be dropped after just 15 days? I am not saying I did better than the other goalkeepers in the camp, but I definitely was not the worst,” he added.

Hockey India selectors AB Subbaiah, BP Govinda, Col Balbir Singh and Thoiba Singh — the quartet was accompanied by government observer and former captain Dilip Tirkey — pruned the long list of 90 probables to a more manageable 48 after a three-day selection process at SAI.

“Just a day before the trials — on July 12 — I was asked by Subbaiah to undergo an eye examination. I asked him what the need was now since everyone knew about the handicap in my vision. It is my performance on the field that should matter. I also told him, let the trials go on and if I am shortlisted, I will undergo the tests. But I was instructed to take them. “I spent the entire day at the hospital undergoing various tests.

How can you expect me to prepare for the trials sitting in the hospital? Despite that, I
participated the trials. And now, after working so hard since my injury and for the last 15 days in particular, they drop me citing improper vision. How can it be justified?” questioned Baljit.

Baljit said the selectors kept passing the buck when he approached them. “When I went to the selectors, they told me talk to goalkeeping coach Subbaiah. When I approached Subbaiah, he told me to talk to (coach Michael) Nobbs. And when I spoke to Nobbs, he cited my vision as the reason for my exclusion. I clearly asked him if he found anything wrong with my game, but he had nothing to say.”

Nobbs, Baljit added, had asked him to hang up his boots and take up a coaching stint instead. “On July 14, the coach told me to retire and take up a coaching job, and said the players wanted to give me a farewell. I felt very disappointed.”