India Hockey Captain Harmanpreet Singh Breaks Silence On 'Saffron' Jersey Row
Hockey India has changed the jerseys for the India men's and women's hockey teams ahead of next month's FIH World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium.
- Hockey India has changed the jerseys for India men's and women's hockey teams ahead of next month's World Cup
- As the changed jersey sparked controversy, India's men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh spoke about it
- "We played a game in new jersey today and it was easier to spot players and coordinate better on the pitch"
Hockey India has changed the jerseys for the India men's and women's hockey teams ahead of next month's FIH World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium. The teams will be seen in saffron jerseys instead of their traditional blue kits for the event. The change has been questioned by former players, but Hockey India has defended it as a technical necessity. Unveiling the new jersey on its social media pages, Hockey India said the design and colour of the jersey are meant to "tell a story" and carry "India's pride" and were finalised after consultations with players and support staff.
HI also said that saffron symbolises courage, sacrifice and victory, and that no external pressure guided its decision.
As the changed jersey sparked controversy, India's men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh spoke about it. He said that the new kit makes it easier to spot players and coordinate during matches.
"There is no issue. We are not paying attention to talks regarding this. We are focussing on what we should. It was a collective decision taken by the team and coach. Changes are important. We played a game in the new jersey today and it was easier to spot the players and coordinate better on the pitch," Harmanpreet said on RevSportz.
"There is no controversy in this," he added, while asking the fans to instead support the team for the mega event.
Earlier, Hockey India also defended its decision, stating that changes in national teams' jerseys were not a new thing in Indian hockey.
"...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," HI's statement read.
"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," it said.
"The present change to saffron was implemented 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," HI added.
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