Hockey India Explains Saffron Jersey Move Ahead of World Cup Amid Controversy

Hockey India has defended its decision to change the Indian men's and women's national team jerseys from blue to saffron ahead of the upcoming Men's Hockey World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. Responding to criticism, the federation said the decision was made purely for technical reasons after detailed discussions with players and support staff. According to Hockey India, the blue jerseys blended with the standard blue synthetic turf used in international hockey, making it difficult for players to identify teammates quickly during matches. After evaluating several alternatives, including yellow, saffron was chosen as the most effective colour for visibility.

The federation also pointed out that saffron is one of the colours in the Indian national flag and symbolises courage, sacrifice, and national pride. It added that changing jersey colours is not a new practice, recalling that India wore yellow jerseys during the 2014 World Cup and sky blue jerseys in the 2018 edition. The 2026 Men's Hockey World Cup will be held from August 15 to 30, with India placed in Pool D alongside Wales, England, and Pakistan. India will open its campaign against Wales on August 15, followed by matches against England on August 17 and Pakistan on August 19. India won its only Hockey World Cup title in 1975 by defeating Pakistan.