Indian hockey teams to wear saffron jerseys at World Cup, Hockey India cites technical need

The Indian men's and women's hockey teams will sport saffron jerseys instead of their traditional blue kits at the upcoming FIH World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium, a change that has drawn criticism from former captain Viren Rasquinha but is defended as a technical necessity by Hockey India.

Unveiling the new jersey on social media, Hockey India said the design and colour were chosen to 'tell a story' and carry 'India's pride', finalised after consultations with players and support staff. Saffron, it said, symbolises courage, sacrifice and victory.

The World Cup will run from August 15 to 30.

Hockey India explained that the switch was prompted by a practical concern: '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.'

'...the coaches and players suggested alternative colours such as yellow or saffron. After careful consideration, saffron was finalised,' the statement added.

Beyond the technical requirement, the saffron colour also holds significance as one of the colours of the national flag, representing courage, sacrifice and national pride.

The jersey also features 'Mandala' inspired patterns celebrating India's cultural heritage. Deep navy blue accents are inspired by the Ashoka Chakra, symbolising progress, peace and focus. The chest graphic is a modern interpretation of the Sudarshan Chakra, representing strength, unity and momentum. Tricolour piping along the shoulders and sides reinforces national pride. The word 'INDIA' is written in stylised Devanagari script to celebrate linguistic and cultural diversity.

Apart from the saffron jersey, the teams will also have white jerseys with the same design.

Former captain Viren Rasquinha, also CEO of the Olympic Gold Quest foundation, criticised the change on social media, calling it 'embarrassing'. He wrote: '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? My simple & humble point is on pride, identity & legacy.'

Hockey India responded by noting that changes in jersey colour are not unprecedented. '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 and during the 2018 FIH Hockey World Cup the colour was changed to sky blue with a completely different design.'

The federation maintained that the move to saffron was based on technical feedback from coaches and players, as well as the symbolic value of the colour.