'Colour Has Changed Before': PR Sreejesh Questions Uproar Over Saffron Jersey

Published 2 August 2026 · india

'Colour Has Changed Before': PR Sreejesh Questions Uproar Over Saffron Jersey Published By, Last Updated: August 02, 2026, 12:45 IST PR Sreejesh has no objection

'Colour Has Changed Before': PR Sreejesh Questions Uproar Over Saffron Jersey Published By, Last Updated: August 02, 2026, 12:45 IST PR Sreejesh has no objection to the change in jersey colour but found the explanation that blue jerseys affected visibility on blue turfs difficult to understand. PR Sreejesh says if players have no problem with it then it shouldn't be an issue. (PTI/X/Hockey India) PR Sreejesh has urged the Indian men’s hockey team to tune out the jersey controversy and other off-field distractions as they chase their first Hockey World Cup medal in 50 years at next month’s tournament in the Netherlands and Belgium. The two-time Olympic bronze medallist said there was no reason for the debate over India’s new saffron primary jersey, pointing out that the national team had also worn different colours during the 2014 and 2018 World Cups. While he questioned the logic behind the explanation that blue jerseys reduce visibility on blue turfs, Sreejesh said the issue should be considered settled if the players themselves had agreed to the change. “To be honest, I didn’t initially understand what the issue was because the jersey colour had changed for the 2014 and 2018 World Cups as well. Even one of our training kits was orange. Why is there so much discussion before the World Cup this time? Is it because of the saffron colour or simply because the colour changed?" Sreejesh told news agency PTI. India’s men’s and women’s teams will wear saffron jerseys as their primary kit instead of the traditional blue at the World Cup, which begins on August 15.

The decision has been criticised by several former India captains, including Viren Rasquinha, Dhanraj Pillay, Ajit Pal Singh, Vasudevan Baskaran and Pargat Singh. Sreejesh said he had no objection to changing the jersey colour but found the official explanation difficult to accept. “If the controversy is about the colour change, then it should have happened in 2014 and 2018 too, when we wore yellow and light blue jerseys. “I have no issue with changing the jersey colour, but the reason being cited is strange. If the colour is being changed due to visibility issues during play, then the blue jersey should never be worn again," he said. The former India goalkeeper, who played 339 international matches before guiding the junior side to a bronze medal at last year’s Junior World Cup in Chennai, acknowledged that matching colours could slightly affect visibility. However, he noted that blue turf has been in use since the 2012 London Olympics without jersey colour emerging as a significant concern. “It is true that having the same colour makes visibility a bit difficult, but in the 14 years since the blue turf was introduced, the jersey colour has changed only twice. We have played in blue in almost every major tournament, including the Tokyo and Paris Olympics," he said. According to Sreejesh, the discussion should end if the players have backed the move. “From what I have seen in the media, the colour change was made with the players consent. Hockey India must have obtained permission from the FIH for the saffron jersey.