China Swaps Traditional Colours For Blue In New Asian Games Podium Uniforms

Published 7 August 2026 · india

News sports other-sports China Swaps Traditional Colours For Blue In New Asian Games Podium Uniforms China Swaps Traditional Colours For Blue In New Asian Games

News sports other-sports China Swaps Traditional Colours For Blue In New Asian Games Podium Uniforms China Swaps Traditional Colours For Blue In New Asian Games Podium Uniforms Published By, Last Updated: August 07, 2026, 16:48 IST China's Asian Games team unveils blue podium uniforms, breaking tradition from red and yellow. Female athletes get trouser or skirt options. Rapid Read Ma Yonghui, gold medallist China's Li Bingjie, and bronze medallist Japan's Waka Kobori pose during the medals ceremony of the women's 400m freestyle swimming event during the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games (Picture credit: AFP) The Chinese Asian Games contingent has broken the tradition with the unveiling of blue official podium uniforms for the upcoming continental showpiece, a week after Hockey India was subject to immense criticism for switching their iconic blue jerseys for orange for the upcoming FIH Hockey World Cup.

The new colour replaces the traditional red-and-yellow uniforms the team had worn for decades. In addition, for the first time at the Games, female athletes will have the option of wearing either trousers or skirts: a change that has sparked widespread discussion online. The new uniforms were unveiled at the Olympic Sports Centre in Beijing on Saturday, August 1, ahead of the Games in September. The launch was held by the Chinese Olympic Committee in collaboration with sportswear brand Li-Ning. Sporting icons, including Li Ning, joined athletes from China’s national table tennis, shooting, diving, fencing and water polo teams at the event, with the participants showing the unveiled attire. The design team explained that the colour palette was chosen to revive sporting memories across generations while creating a more modern and refined visual identity with the use of low-saturation tones.

Since the 1990 Beijing Asian Games, China’s podium uniforms have featured warm colours such as red and yellow. Red reflects the national flag and symbolises passion, while yellow represents honour and glory. Many social media users welcomed the shift to blue, describing it as ‘sophisticated’ and ‘refreshing’. One user joked, “Finally, no more scrambled eggs with tomatoes," while another wrote, “Very pretty; finally no more red, yellow and white". But some argued that red would have been a better fit for the Chinese delegation’s passionate image, saying that the blue palette felt too cold. “Are you sure these are not leftovers from the Winter Olympics?" one user joked, while another commented, “Exactly: this colour scheme is better suited to winter sports".