The story so far
Hockey Jersey Row
Tracked across 8 sources · Updated 1h ago
India's hockey team changed its traditional blue jersey to saffron for the 2026 World Cup, citing visibility on blue turf. The move sparked political backlash from former players and opposition leaders, while Hockey India and players defended it as a technical decision.
How it unfolded
3d ago
Naveen Patnaik expresses anguish over jersey colour
4d ago
Captain Harmanpreet Singh says 'no politics involved'
4d ago
Priyanka Gandhi and Opposition link jersey to politics
4d ago
Hockey India cites visibility on blue turf for change
4d ago
Viren Rasquinha criticizes jersey change as 'embarrassing'
27 Jul 2026
India unveils new saffron jersey for Hockey World Cup
What happened earlier
Latest updates
Latest
Full story →'If visibility is reason, then blue jersey should never be worn again': Sreejesh
Indian men's and women's hockey teams will wear saffron jerseys as primary kit at the World Cup starting August 15 in Netherlands and Belgium.
Former India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh questioned the official reason that blue jerseys are hard to see on blue turfs, saying if visibility were the issue, blue jerseys should never be worn again.
Sreejesh noted that India also wore different kits at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, and asked why the debate only arose this time.
The jersey change has drawn criticism from several former India captains.
Sreejesh said that if the players have approved the decision, the matter should end there.
Earlier · 6d ago
Full story →Indian men's hockey team unveils new jersey for FIH World Cup
Indian men's hockey team unveiled a new jersey for the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup in Belgium and Netherlands.
India qualified for the World Cup by winning the Asia Cup.
India will compete in Pool D against England, Wales, and Pakistan.
The tournament runs from August 14-30.
Earlier · 3d ago
Full story →Rasquinha criticizes new saffron India jersey for Hockey World Cup
Former India captain Viren Rasquinha criticized the new saffron-colored India jersey for the FIH World Cup, saying the team's legacy and identity have always been blue.
Hockey India released the new jersey for both men's and women's hockey teams, replacing the traditional blue with saffron.
Rasquinha posted on X: 'The legacy & identity of the Indian team has always been BLUE... What is the logic of orange?'
Hockey India's video explained the design: saffron symbolizes courage, sacrifice, and victory; blue accent is deep navy inspired by the Ashoka Chakra; and the jersey features mandala patterns, Sudarshan Chakra graphic, and tricolour piping.
The jersey also includes Odisha branding, highlighting the state's commitment to Indian hockey.
Earlier · 3d ago
Full story →Hockey India Clarifies Jersey Colour Change To 'Saffron' Amid Backlash
Hockey India changed the jersey color to saffron for the 2026 World Cup.
The change aims to improve visibility on blue synthetic pitches.
The announcement came after backlash over the color alteration.
Both men's and women's hockey teams will wear the new jerseys.
Hockey India issued a statement clarifying the reason for the change.
Earlier · 3d ago
Full story →Viren Rasquinha Questions Hockey India's Jersey Color Change
Former India captain Viren Rasquinha posted about Hockey India's decision to change the jersey color.
Rasquinha faced backlash on social media for his post.
The jersey row involves men's and women's hockey team jerseys being changed.
The controversy has taken a political turn with discussion of Argentina wearing orange.