New Delhi: A day after Baljit Singh underwent a surgery on his damaged right eye, doctors said the goalkeeper’s condition remained critical even though Hockey India vowed to explore every possibility, including treatment abroad, to help him regain full vision.

Saturday’s three-hour operation at AIIMS went off well but, Dr Tushar Aggarwal, assistant professor in the department of ophthalmology, 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, he said: “No, not now. We will take a call on whether he needs another surgery only after assessing his recovery.”

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

Hockey India secretary general Mohammed Aslam Khan said they were constantly monitoring Baljit’s condition, and if needed, they are open to the idea of sending the goalkeeper abroad for further meet.

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.

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

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

Sympathising with the Chandigarh-based goalkeeper, a senior national team member said it’s high time the administrators seriously took up the matter of insuring players.

“It’s a grave injury, very bad news for Indian hockey. There is no insurance cover for us when we are in a national camp or playing in an international tournament.

After Baljit’s incident, I strongly feel all the players should be insured,” the player said on condition of anonymity.

Olympian Baljit Singh Saini went a step further and said all athletes participating at the competitive level should be insured, irrespective of the of the sport. (Agencies)