Hockey India has responded to the growing criticism surrounding the Indian men's team's new saffron jersey, unveiled ahead of the upcoming FIH Hockey World Cup.
On Monday, HI revealed the new playing kit that the senior men's team will wear at the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. The jersey marks a significant departure from India's traditional blue kit, with saffron replacing the iconic colour that has long been associated with the national team.
The change drew criticism from former India captain Viren Rasquinha, who questioned the decision in a post on X. Calling the new jersey "embarrassing", the 45-year-old argued that Indian hockey's identity and legacy have been built around the colour blue and asked what the rationale was behind switching to saffron.
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
In response, Hockey India issued a statement, claiming that the decision was made following detailed consultations with the players and support staff. "We wish to inform you that the decision to change the uniform colour was based on support staff and players' recommendations and detailed consultations with them."
Hockey India claimed that the primary reason behind the colour change was technical rather than aesthetic. "It was observed that the blue playing uniform tended to blend 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 explained.
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The federation asserted that the players and coaching staff suggested alternative colours, including yellow and saffron, before the latter 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," the statement added.
HI also pointed out that changes to the national team's jersey colours are not unprecedented.
"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, while at the 2018 FIH Hockey World Cup it was changed to sky blue with a completely different design."
Concluding its clarification, Hockey India reiterated that the decision was driven by both practical considerations and the symbolic importance of the colour.
"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," the statement concluded.
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