Great Britain's hockey player Sam Ward lost sight in his left eye after suffering a horrific facial injury after being hit by the ball during the Olympic Qualifier match against Malaysia on November 3. The 29-year old had to undergo surgery on November 13 to reconstruct his cheek and has very little sight on his left eye due to a damaged retina.
Ward, who has 126 international caps representing England and Great Britain, scored twice in the two-legged qualifier which Britain won 9-3 on aggregate to seal a Tokyo 2020 berth.
"Over the last week, I have received advice from three separate eye consultants. They have all told me that I have suffered damage to the retina of my left eye and that this damage is partly irreversible," he told Great Britain Hockey's official website on Monday.
Rumours of the forward's retirement did rounds on social media before he denied any plans to retire through an official statement by GB Hockey and vowed to make a comeback.
"I may get some sight back, but this won’t be a quick process, and whether it will be sufficient for me to get back to playing international hockey only time will tell. It is a tough pill to swallow but, as people know, I am not one to give up easily and I will do everything can to make myself available for selection for Tokyo," Ward said.
Ward, who made his debut for England in the 2014 Champions Trophy, has scored 72 international goals. He won bronze medals in 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2017 EuroHockey Championships.
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