Indian hockey teams switch from blue to saffron jersey for World Cup; HI defends move after criticism

Screen grab of a video shared by Hockey India on X, displaying the new official jersey of the Indian national teams The Indian men's and women's hockey teams will be seen in saffron jerseys instead of their traditional blue kits at next month's FIH World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium, a change that was questioned by former captain Viren Rasquinha but defended as a technical necessity by Hockey India.Unveiling the new jersey on its social media pages, Hockey India said the design and colour of the jersey is meant to "tell a story" and carry "India's pride" and was finalised after consultations with players and support staff. HI said saffron symbolises courage, sacrifice and victory.Presenting the new India jersey! 🇮🇳Every stitch tells a story. Every pattern, every colour carries India's pride. Our teams are ready to once again do the country proud at the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026.🎥: Select 2 (SD+HD)+ Khel & JioHotstar🗓️: August… pic.twitter.com/8GvwbByapq— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) July 27, 2026"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," Hockey India said in a statement after Rasquinha questioned the logic behind the move."...the coaches and players suggested alternative colours such as yellow or saffron. After careful consideration, saffron was finalised. File picture of players of the Indian national team in the iconic blue jersey, during an FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup qualifier match on March 8, 2026 | Photo Credit: K.V.S. GIRI "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," it added.The World Cup will run from August 15 to 30.The jersey also has 'Mandala' inspired patterns which celebrate India's cultural heritage. Hockey India said that the deep navy blue accents are inspired by the Ashoka Chakra, which symbolises progress, peace and focus.HI said the chest graphic is a modern interpretation of the Sudarshan Chakra, symbolising "strength, unity, and momentum." There is also a tricolour piping along the shoulders and sides, which "reinforces national pride."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. 🇮🇳 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— Viren Rasquinha (@virenrasquinha) July 30, 2026'INDIA' is written on the front of the jersey in stylised 'Devanagari' script to "celebrate linguistic and cultural diversity."Besides saffron, the two Indian teams will also have white jerseys in their kits featuring the same new design.Rasquinha said unveiled uniform looks "embarrassing"."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?," Rasquinha, who is also the CEO of sports foundation Olympic Gold Quest, wrote on 'X'."My simple & humble point is on pride, identity & legacy."Nothing unprecedented: HIHI defended its decision, stating that change in national teams' jersey was not a new thing in Indian hockey and has happened in the past as well."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," the 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. Published - July 30, 2026 02:33 pm IST