— Hockey India faces questions over decision to replace traditional blue kit; president says board was not consulted
By Wajih Ahmad Sheikh
A controversy over India’s decision to replace its traditional blue hockey jersey with a saffron-coloured kit has cast a political and administrative shadow over the opening day of the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup being jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands.
The change has drawn criticism from several former India captains and prominent players, while Hockey India president and former skipper Dilip Tirkey has also questioned the process through which the decision was taken.
The Indian team entered the tournament on Saturday wearing the new kit, defeating Wales 3-1 in its opening Pool D match in Amstelveen. Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice after Sanjay had given India an early lead.
The jersey controversy began after Hockey India announced that the men’s and women’s teams would wear saffron as their primary colour instead of the iconic blue. Former captains including Viren Rasquinha, Dhanraj Pillay, Ajit Pal Singh, Vasudevan Baskaran and Pargat Singh criticised or questioned the decision.
Hockey India defended the change, saying the blue kit could blend with the blue playing surface and affect players’ visibility. The explanation, however, has failed to convince some former players. Former India goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh said he had no objection to changing the colour but questioned the argument that blue created a visibility problem on the turf.
The controversy intensified when Mr Tirkey reportedly sought an explanation from Hockey India officials, saying the decision had not been placed before the executive board or brought to his notice. Reports also said several players were not consulted before the new design was presented to them.
The dispute has therefore moved beyond a question of aesthetics, raising questions about decision-making within India’s national governing body for hockey.
For a sport where national colours have traditionally carried strong symbolic value, the sudden replacement of blue has also generated considerable debate among supporters.
Hockey India, meanwhile, has urged the team to focus on its World Cup campaign. India’s victory over Wales gives it three points in Pool D, which also contains Pakistan and England.
Pakistan, returning to the World Cup after an eight-year absence, are scheduled to face England in their opening match before playing Wales on Aug 17 and arch-rivals India on Aug 19.
The 2026 World Cup has introduced a new competition format, with the traditional quarter-final stage replaced by a second group phase. The tournament runs from Aug 15 to 30 in Belgium and the Netherlands.
About the author: Wajih Ahmad Sheikh is a senior journalist associated with DAWN with more than two decades.
He writes on sports for digital platforms. He is found on X @wajihsheikh
He can be reached at [email protected]
