India goalkeeper Adrian D'Souza, an eye witness in the baljit singh mishap, tellsMid Day that he wants his pal to regain sight first; his hockey career comes later
India goalkeeper Adrian D'Souza, an eye witness in the Baljit Singh mishap, tellsMid Day that he wants his pal to regain sight first;u00a0his hockey career comes later
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India hockey goalkeeper Adrian D'Souza still wishes teammate and custodian Baljit Singh would have not tried to stop that unfortunate fifth shot during training on Friday as it would have saved him from critically injuring his eye.
"Romeo Sir (goalkeeping coach James) was training us (four goalkeepers, Adrian, Baljit, Bharat Chettri, PR Sreejesh) with a golf ball. We were to take five shots each. I finished mine and next up was Balli. I can't recollect how the first four shots went, but I clearly remember the fifth.
"Romeo Sir took a swing and the ball headed for the goal. Balli could have let it go, but tried to stop it by moving to his right. Given the speed that ball was traveling at, before Balli knew it, it struck him on the eye through the helmet visor," Adrian (25) told MiD DAY from Pune yesterday.
Baljit (28) has since been admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi where a series of operations later, doctors remain uncertain if he will regain vision in his right eye and be able to play competitive hockey again.
Adrian, however, is not worried about whether his senior partner will be able to don his goalkeeping pads again.
"Hockey is not a priority. I want Balli to be regain his vision first because I know the fighter that he is, the moment he begins to see properly, he will be back on the hockey field in no time. That's why I want him to regain his sight first.
"I spoke to Balli yesterday and he told me to tell all the guys that he is fine and that he will be back soon," said Mumbai-based Adrian, who shares a room with Baljit on international trips.
In fact, their friendship goes beyond hockey.
"A couple of months ago in Chandigarh, Balli told me that his parents were keen to get him married and had even seen a girl for him. All arrangements were made and he was quite excited. I think the date was fixed for October 1," said Adrian, who is looking forward to meeting his friend before the Indian team embarks on a four-week long tour beginning July 24 which covers 12 Test matchesu00a0 across England, Belgium, Spain and Netherlands.
"We will be flying out from Delhi (on July 23) so I think we will have a chance to meet Balli in hospital. I can't wait to see him," said Adrian hoping that "infamous fifth shot won't be Baljit's last save under the bar for India."
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