Why Did India’s Hockey Jersey Change From Blue To Saffron? Hockey India Explains Amid Backlash
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Hockey India has clarified its decision to switch the national men’s and women’s teams’ primary jersey colour from traditional blue to saffron ahead of the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, saying the change was driven by visibility concerns on blue synthetic pitches.
The governing body unveiled the saffron jerseys on July 27 for next month’s World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium. The move sparked criticism on social media, with former India captain and Olympian Viren Rasquinha questioning the decision to move away from blue.
Viren Rasquinha questions move away from blue
Former men’s team captain and Olympian Viren Rasquinha was among those who criticised the jersey change, arguing that blue has long been part of Indian hockey’s identity.
“I must say that Hockey India has done many good things for Indian hockey. But this is embarrassing. The legacy & identity of the Indian team has always been BLUE,” Rasquinha wrote on X. “I wore the Blue jersey with pride for many years. Fans want to see our Indian team in blue. What is the logic of orange?”
Why Hockey India switched from blue to saffron
In a statement on Thursday, Hockey India said the decision was taken after consultations with players and support staff, with technical considerations being the primary reason.
“We wish to inform you that the decision to change the uniform colour was based on recommendations from, and detailed consultations with, the support staff and players. The primary consideration was technical. It was observed that the blue playing uniform tended to blend with the blue synthetic playing surface, which is now the standard colour for international hockey pitches. This visual similarity affected on-field clarity and visibility for the players,” Hockey India said.
The governing body said coaches and players suggested alternative colours, including yellow and saffron, before saffron was finalised. It added that saffron was also chosen for its significance as a colour of the Indian national flag, symbolising “courage, sacrifice, and national pride”.
Rasquinha says criticism was not political
As the debate around his remarks intensified, Rasquinha later clarified that his objection was not political and was about the team’s sporting identity and legacy.
“I’m seeing many unnecessary political comments on this. I don’t want to get into any of that. My simple & humble point is on pride, identity & legacy. India is to hockey what Argentina is to Football. Will we ever see Argentina wearing Orange and White stripes as their 1st jersey?” he wrote.
Hockey India points to previous jersey changes
Hockey India said changes to the national team’s jersey colours are not unprecedented and have been made in the past to meet functional and other requirements.
The federation cited the 2014 FIH Hockey World Cup, when India’s jersey was changed to yellow, and the 2018 edition, when the team wore a sky-blue kit with a different design.
Hockey India maintained that the latest switch to saffron was made after considering technical feedback from coaches and players, along with the symbolic value of the colour as part of the national flag.
