Hockey India Replaces Iconic Blue Jersey With Saffron, Faces Questions

NEW DELHI – Hockey India on July 30 mounted a defense of its decision to replace the Indian men’s team’s iconic blue jersey with a saffron-colored kit for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, responding to criticism that the move abandons a long-standing symbol of Indian hockey.

The federation said the decision was based primarily on technical concerns raised by players, coaches and support staff, rejecting suggestions that the change was driven by other considerations.

The controversy erupted after Hockey India unveiled the new saffron jersey on July 27 for next month’s FIH Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium, prompting criticism from former India captain Viren Rasquinha, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other opposition party leaders.

In a statement, Hockey India said discussions within the national team led to the change after concerns were raised about visibility on modern hockey fields.

“The primary consideration was technical. It was observed that the blue playing uniform tended to blend/merge with the blue synthetic playing surface, which is now the standard color of international hockey pitches. This visual similarity affected on-field clarity and visibility for the players,” the federation said.

The federation added, “Apart from addressing the technical requirement, saffron also holds deep significance as one of the colors of our national flag, symbolizing courage, sacrifice and national pride.”

The explanation came after Rasquinha publicly questioned both the decision and its rationale, arguing that the move discarded an important part of Indian hockey’s identity. “I must say that @TheHockeyIndia has done many good things for Indian hockey. But this is embarrassing,” Rasquinha said. He said the blue jersey had always been inseparable from the national team’s legacy. “The legacy and identity of the Indian team has always been BLUE. I wore the Blue jersey with pride for many years.”

Rasquinha also said fans strongly identify Indian hockey with its traditional colors, asking, “Fans want to see our Indian team in blue. What is the logic of orange?”

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra linked the jersey controversy to what she described as broader attempts to alter national symbols and history.

“Whether they change the uniform or try to rewrite history through the education policy, no matter what they do, the youth of this country have made their views clear. You saw what the young people gathered at Jantar Mantar were saying. That is the voice of the nation,” she said. (IANS)