Hockey India Clarifies Jersey Colour Change To 'Saffron' Amid Backlash
Hockey India said in a statement that it changed the men's and women's hockey jersey color to saffron for the 2026 World Cup to improve visibility on blue synthetic pitches.
- Hockey India changed the jersey colour to saffron for the 2026 World Cup, triggering a controversy
- In a statement, Hockey India said that the blue kits blended with the blue synthetic playing surface
- The statement further said Saffron was chosen after consultations with players and support staff for clarity
Hockey India, the governing body for the sport in the country, has clarified the reasons behind changing the jersey colour for the men's and women's national teams ahead of the 2026 World Cup. On 27 July, Hockey India released a video on social media confirming that both teams would wear saffron jerseys instead of their traditional blue kits at next month's FIH World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium. The move away from the traditional blue sparked a backlash on social media and was questioned by former men's team captain Viren Rasquinha.
Issuing a clarification on Thursday (30 July), Hockey India stated that the decision to change the primary uniform colour was made because the previous blue kits merged visually with the blue synthetic playing surface.
"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 in a statement.
The row over jersey colour change intensified after Rasquinha's post questioning Hockey India went viral. On Thursday, the former India captain also called out unnecessary politicisation of his post.
"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 on X.
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.
— Viren Rasquinha (@virenrasquinha) July 30, 2026
is to what Argentina is to Football. Will we ever see Argentina wearing Orange and White stripes as their 1st jersey? https://t.co/lAnu2gOR7y
The governing body added that suggestions were sought regarding potential alternative colours. Ultimately, saffron was selected as the base colour because it features on the country's national flag.
"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 holds deep significance as one of the colours of our National Flag, symbolising courage, sacrifice, and national pride.
"It may also be noted that changes to jersey colours are not unprecedented in Indian hockey. From time to time, the national team's playing kit has been modified to meet functional and other requirements. For instance, during the 2014 FIH Hockey World Cup, the team's jersey was changed to yellow, and during the 2018 FIH Hockey World Cup, it was changed to sky blue with a completely different design," the statement added.
"The present change to saffron was implemented after considering both the technical feedback received from the coaches and players and the symbolic value associated with the colour being part of our National Flag," the statement concluded.
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