Hockey India President Explains Decision To Change Team Jersey Colour From Blue To Safforn
Hockey India President Explains Decision To Change Team Jersey Colour From Blue To Safforn Published By, Last Updated: July 30, 2026, 16:22 IST Explaining the
Hockey India President Explains Decision To Change Team Jersey Colour From Blue To Safforn Published By, Last Updated: July 30, 2026, 16:22 IST Explaining the reason behind the change, the Hockey India president said the players and coaches felt that wearing blue jerseys on a blue turf affected visibility during matches. Rapid Read Hockey India president explains decision to change team jersey colour from blue to safforn. (Picture Credit: Screengrab) Hockey India President Dilip Kumar Tirkey on Thursday (July 30) explained the decision to change the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams’ primary jersey colour from blue to safforn, saying the move was suggested by the players, coaches, and support staff due to visibility issues on the blue hockey turf. Speaking to ANI, Tirkey said the new jerseys were unveiled ahead of the FIH Men’s and Women’s Hockey World Cups, which are scheduled to begin on August 14 and 15, respectively, in the Netherlands and Belgium. “So this time, the orange colour has been chosen. And yes, I accept that for many years there was a legacy where Team India used to wear blue.
We played many tournaments, including several major ones, wearing blue… even I played wearing blue. But the change that has been made this time—and this is not the first time. In 2014, I think the team wore yellow, and in 2018 too, light blue was used—a suggestion came directly from our coaches, support staff, players, and team captains," Tirkey told ANI. #WATCH | Bhubaneswar, Odisha: On Hockey India changed national team jerseys from blue to saffron, Hockey India President Dilip Kumar Tirkey says, “The World Cup for both men and women is set to begin on August 15th in the Netherlands and Belgium. Ahead of this, Team India’s… pic.twitter.com/1ym2HXSvVp— ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2026 Explaining the reason behind the change, the Hockey India president said the players and coaches felt that wearing blue jerseys on a blue turf affected visibility during matches. “Their suggestion was that the hockey turf is blue, and the players’ playing kit was also blue. So technical visibility during play was affected because of that overlap. They felt that it was creating an issue," he said. Tirkey said the team had suggested two colour options—yellow and orange—with orange eventually being selected as it is also one of the colours of the Indian national flag.
“They suggested two colour options: yellow and orange. It was noted that orange is also one of the colours in our national flag. So orange was chosen and the jersey was designed accordingly. If, after the tournament or in the future, the players feel otherwise, we can work again on improving the kit colour," he said. On whether the jersey colour could be changed again in the future, Tirkey said Hockey India would consider the players’ preference. “If, after or during the World Cup, the team or players do not feel comfortable with the orange colour—which was introduced based on their own request—we can definitely change it in the future to a colour that the team prefers," he said. Tirkey reiterated that the decision was based primarily on visibility concerns and the players’ preference. “There was a specific request from the players and coaches. On blue hockey turf, wearing blue jerseys created visual overlap during fast-paced gameplay, reducing contrast and clarity. Secondly, orange is represented in our national flag. Out of the two options requested by the squad—orange and yellow—orange was selected," he said.
The BriefWire