Hockey India has made a major change to the national team’s jersey colours ahead of the 2026 Asian GamesScroll down to read the full story to know all the details.
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Hockey India makes massive change in the jersey ahead of the Asian Games
Hockey India seems to have changed its earlier decision to make saffron the main colour of the national teamFor the 2026 Asian Games, Hockey India has reportedly told the Indian Olympic Association that blue will be the team’s main colour, while saffron will be the second colour.
Hockey India names blue as first-choice kit colour for Asian Games
“The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) asked us for our preferred choice of kit, and HI has given the first preference as blue, with the secondary colour being saffron,” Hockey India treasurer Shekar Manoharan said on Tuesday.
Read more:
India hockey team change iconic ‘blue’ jersey to ‘saffron’ colour for World Cup 2026, HI defend move
HI had announced the move to saffron jerseys ahead of the FIH Hockey World Cup in August, but the decision soon sparked a major debate across the country.
Hockey India said the change was made after players and coaches raised concerns about visibilityThey felt that blue jerseys were difficult to spot against the blue playing surfaceYellow and orange were suggested as possible options, with HI choosing orange because of its link to the Indian flag.
Hockey India faces criticism over jersey change as focus shifts to 2028 Olympics
However, several former India captains, including Pargat Singh, Dhanraj Pillay and Viren Rasquinha, criticised the decision and questioned the move away from the team’s traditional blue colourThe issue also became political, with former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, known for his support for Indian hockey, calling the change politically motivated.
It was later revealed that HI President Dilip Tirkey said in internal emails that the decision was taken without his knowledge or without consulting the Executive Board.
India’s men’s team finished eighth in the World Cup, while the women’s team achieved their best-ever result by finishing fifthInterestingly, teams such as England and the Netherlands, who also wore light-blue jerseys on the blue turfs in Belgium, performed well against India.
Earlier on Tuesday, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a review meeting with men’s coach Craig Fulton, captain Harmanpreet Singh, women’s coach Sjoerd Marijne, captain Salima Tete and Hockey India officials at the Sports Authority of India headquartersHe asked both teams to put the World Cup results behind them and focus on qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics through the Asian Games.
