Shrug off jersey issue, focus on ending 50-year WC medal drought: Sreejesh

P R Sreejesh advised the Indian men's hockey team to ignore the jersey controversy and focus on ending a 50-year World Cup medal drought at the upcoming tournament in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Sreejesh noted that India wore different kits at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups and saw no issue with the change, but questioned the reasoning that blue jerseys hamper visibility on blue turfs.

The Indian men's and women's teams will wear saffron jerseys instead of traditional blue at the World Cup starting August 15, drawing criticism from former captains including Viren Rasquinha, Dhanraj Pillay, and others.

Sreejesh emphasized that if players approved the decision, the debate should end, and he found the visibility explanation strange since blue turfs have been in use since the 2012 London Olympics.

He acknowledged that identical colors could marginally affect visibility but noted that jersey color had changed only twice in 14 years of blue turf usage.