Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey explains decision to change team jersey colour to saffron from blue

BHUBANESWAR: Hockey India president Dilip Kumar Tirkey on Thursday explained the decision to change the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams’ primary jersey colour from blue to orange, saying the change was suggested by players, coaches and support staff due to visibility issues on the blue hockey turf.

The change in jersey colour has sparked controversy, with former India captain and Olympian Viren Rasquinha questioning the decision and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also criticising the move.

The former Olympian’s remarks came after Hockey India unveiled the new jerseys for the senior men’s and women’s teams on July 27, ahead of the upcoming FIH Men’s and Women’s Hockey World Cups.

Expressing his disappointment on X, Viren wrote, “I must say that @TheHockeyIndia has done many good things for (hockey emotes). But this is embarrassing. The legacy & identity of the Indian team has always been BLUE. 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?”

I must say that @TheHockeyIndia has done many good things for . But this is embarrassing. The legacy & identity of the Indian team has always been BLUE. 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? https://t.co/apDnJkTld4

— Viren Rasquinha (@virenrasquinha) July 29, 2026

Speaking to reporters amid the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, Priyanka Gandhi said the country’s identity was rooted in non-violence, truth and brotherhood, and that these values could not be taken away.

“Whether they change uniforms or try to rewrite history through education policy, no matter what they do… You have seen what the youth of our country think about this. You heard what the young people gathered at Jantar Mantar were saying. This is the voice of the nation,” the Congress MP said.

“The struggle for this country’s independence was founded on non-violence and truth; the RSS played no part in it. The entire nation knows the reality, and those who didn’t are now realising what their true intentions are,” the Congress MP added.

Tirkey said the new jerseys were launched ahead of the FIH Men’s and Women’s Hockey World Cups, which are scheduled to begin on August 14 and 15, respectively, in the Netherlands and Belgium.

#WATCH | Bhubaneswar, Odisha: On Hockey India changed national team jerseys from blue to saffron, Hockey India President Dilip Kumar Tirkey says, “The World Cup for both men and women is set to begin on August 15th in the Netherlands and Belgium. Ahead of this, Team India’s… pic.twitter.com/1ym2HXSvVp

— ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2026

“So, this time, the orange colour has been chosen. And yes, I accept that for many years, there was a legacy where Team India used to wear blue. We have played many tournaments, many important tournaments wearing blue… even I played wearing blue. But the change that has been made this time — and this is not the first time; in 2014 as well, I think the team wore yellow, and in 2018 too, light blue was used — a suggestion came directly from our coaches, supporting staff, players, and team captains,” Tirkey said.

Explaining the reason behind the change, the Hockey India president said players and coaches felt that wearing blue on blue turf affected visibility during matches. “Their suggestion was that on the field, the hockey turf is blue, and the players’ playing kit was also blue. So technical visibility during play was affected because of that overlap. Somewhere, they were feeling that issue,” he said.

Tirkey said the team had suggested two colour options — yellow and orange — with orange eventually being selected as it is also represented in the Indian national flag. “They suggested two colour options: yellow and orange. It was noted that orange is also one of our national colours from the Indian flag. So orange was chosen and designed accordingly. If after the tournament or in the future the players feel otherwise, we can work again on improving the kit colour,” he said.

On whether the jersey colour could be changed again in the future, Tirkey said Hockey India would consider the players’ preference. “If after or during the World Cup, the team or players do not feel comfortable with the orange colour — which was introduced based on their own request — we can definitely change it in the future to a colour that the team prefers,” he said.

Tirkey reiterated that the decision was based primarily on visibility concerns and the players’ preference. “There was a specific request from players and coaches. On blue hockey turf, wearing blue jerseys created visual overlap during fast gameplay, reducing contrast and clarity. Secondly, Orange is represented in our national flag. Out of the two options requested by the squad (orange and yellow), orange was selected,” he said.

“For this World Cup, the orange kit is designated as the primary jersey, with white as the secondary kit. If required later, adjustments can always be made,” Tirkey added.

Meanwhile, Hockey India also issued a statement explaining that the decision to change the national team’s jersey colour was based on recommendations from the support staff and players, following detailed consultations.

“We wish to inform you that the decision to change the uniform colour was based on support staff & players’ recommendations and detailed consultations with them. 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 colour of international hockey pitches. This visual similarity affected on-field clarity and visibility for the players,” the statement read.

The statement said the primary consideration was technical, as the blue playing uniform tended to blend with the blue synthetic playing surface used in international hockey, affecting players’ on-field clarity and visibility.

“In light of the above, the coaches and players suggested alternative colours such as yellow or saffron. After careful consideration, saffron was finalised. Apart from addressing the technical requirement, saffron also holds deep significance as one of the colours of our National Flag, symbolising courage, sacrifice and national pride,” Hockey India said.

“It may also be noted that changes in jersey colour are not unprecedented in Indian hockey. From time to time, the national team’s playing kit colour has been modified as per functional and other requirements. For instance, during the 2014 FIH Hockey World Cup, the team’s jersey colour was changed to yellow, and during the 2018 FIH Hockey World Cup the colour was changed to sky blue with a completely different design,” the statement added.

Hockey India also pointed out that changes to the national team’s jersey colour were not unprecedented, citing the use of yellow during the 2014 FIH Hockey World Cup and sky blue with a different design during the 2018 edition.

Congress MLA and former India hockey captain Pargat Singh on Thursday criticised the change in the Indian hockey team’s national jersey colour from blue to saffron, alleging that the move reflected the BJP’s mindset of giving everything a particular colour.

Pargat said the focus should instead be on developing sports and providing better facilities to athletes. “The intention of the government is very clear. Whether you look at the education policy or other areas, their entire focus remains on changing the content. Similarly, as far as I can recall, ever since we have seen and played hockey, the primary colour has always been blue. However, their mindset is to give everything a specific colour, which is saffron. What will this achieve for our country? The BJP’s mindset is very clearly visible through this,” Pargat said.

The Congress MLA urged the government to move away from what he described as a “petty mindset” and focus on promoting athletes and expanding sports infrastructure. “In my opinion, we should abandon such a petty mindset and focus on more important work for the country, such as promoting players, providing them with more facilities, expanding the sports base, and overall sports development,” he said.

Pargat also said sports should remain free from political and social divisions, highlighting its role in promoting brotherhood. “I want to tell the BJP to at least spare sports. Sports has no religion, caste, or political party. Sports conveys a message of brotherhood to the entire world. We establish rules and play under them; anyone can win or lose, but it fosters a sportsman spirit. At least leave sports free from this saffronisation,” the Congress MLA added. (ANI)