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Hockey experts raise pitch for insurance on national duty
Senior team goalkeeper Baljit Singh's career-threatening eye injury is a wake up call for the administrators to set things right before it is too late.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: July 19, 2009 08:56 AM IST
Read Time:2 min
New Delhi:
In foreign countries insurance cover for athletes are a must in any contact sport, both at club and country level, but for Indian hockey players, it is a distant dream.
However, 28-year-old Baljit's injury has united the hockey fraternity in advocating the need for insuring players during national duty.
Baljit underwent an emergency eye operation at AIIMS here after suffering a rupture in his globe (eye ball) that damaged the retina, cornea and lens of his right eye after he was hit by a golf ball during a national team training camp in Pune.
Sympathising with the Chandigarh keeper, a senior national team member said it's high time the administrators seriously take up the matter of insuring players.
"It's a grave injury, very bad news for Indian hockey. I wish to God to give strength to Baljit and his family in this hour of crisis," the player said on condition of anonymity.
"There is no insurance coverage 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 because in a contact sport like hockey, anything can happen on the field," he added.
The coach also cited the example of India skipper Sandeep Singh's life-threatening bullet injury before the 2006 Germany World Cup.
Sandeep was accidentally hit by a bullet while travelling in a train from Kalka to Delhi to join the World Cup-bound squad.
"See Sandeep's case, it could have been more serious. He was hit by a bullet when he was on the move to join the national team. When we leave our home to join the team or attend a camp we are on duty," the coach said.
Indian hockey players have always been a neglected lot when it comes to getting basic amenities and senior team goalkeeper Baljit Singh's career-threatening eye injury is a wake up call for the administrators to set things right before it is too late.In foreign countries insurance cover for athletes are a must in any contact sport, both at club and country level, but for Indian hockey players, it is a distant dream.
However, 28-year-old Baljit's injury has united the hockey fraternity in advocating the need for insuring players during national duty.
Baljit underwent an emergency eye operation at AIIMS here after suffering a rupture in his globe (eye ball) that damaged the retina, cornea and lens of his right eye after he was hit by a golf ball during a national team training camp in Pune.
Sympathising with the Chandigarh keeper, a senior national team member said it's high time the administrators seriously take up the matter of insuring players.
"It's a grave injury, very bad news for Indian hockey. I wish to God to give strength to Baljit and his family in this hour of crisis," the player said on condition of anonymity.
"There is no insurance coverage 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 because in a contact sport like hockey, anything can happen on the field," he added.
The coach also cited the example of India skipper Sandeep Singh's life-threatening bullet injury before the 2006 Germany World Cup.
Sandeep was accidentally hit by a bullet while travelling in a train from Kalka to Delhi to join the World Cup-bound squad.
"See Sandeep's case, it could have been more serious. He was hit by a bullet when he was on the move to join the national team. When we leave our home to join the team or attend a camp we are on duty," the coach said.
Topics mentioned in this article
Hockey
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