Indian Hockey Team: A big decision has been made about the jersey colors of the Indian hockey team. In the upcoming Asian Games (Asian Games 2026) to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams will again be seen playing in the traditional blue jersey. Hockey India president Dilip Tirke said Hockey India has chosen blue as the first choice among the various color options offered by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Orange is kept as the second choice. As a result, the controversy over the color of the jersey before the World Cup is about to end for the time being in the Asian Games.
What did Dilip Tirke say?
Dilip Tirke told the news agency on the sidelines of the farewell function organized for the Indian athletes going to participate in the Asian Games. He said several color options were given by the IOA for the team kit. From that list, Hockey India selected blue as the first choice for the Indian team jersey. Orange is kept as the second option. That is, the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams will be seen wearing blue jerseys in the upcoming Asian Games. This decision also maintains a long tradition.
The color of the jersey changed before the World Cup
Earlier, just before the World Cup held in Netherlands and Belgium, there was a controversy over the jersey color of the Indian hockey team. It was decided to replace the long familiar blue jersey with the Indian team playing in ocher or orange jerseys. On July 27, Hockey India officially announced the choice of ocher color instead of the traditional blue. The federation claimed that the change was decided based on feedback from players and coaches. It was also argued that players wearing blue jerseys on blue turf could have trouble being identified. That is why yellow and orange were considered as possible alternatives.
Controversy builds around the ocher jersey
Ultimately the ocher color was chosen keeping in mind its association with the Indian tricolor. But soon after the decision became public, several former Indian hockey stars questioned the change. Several former stars, including former captain Pargat Singh, Dhanraj Pillay, Ajit Pal Singh and Birendra Lakra, opposed the change to the traditional blue jersey. Dilip Tir also told internal discussions that he was not consulted before changing the color of the jersey. His objection, however, was not directly about the color ocher. Rather, such important decisions were taken without consulting the elected leadership and the executive board—that was his main objection.
Politics was also involved in the Jersey controversy
The issue of changing the color of the Indian hockey team’s jersey later took the form of a political debate. Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik criticized the decision to wear ocher jerseys. He alleged that there could be political motives behind the decision to change the color of the jersey. Hockey India, on the other hand, cited technical factors such as field conditions and visibility in changing the color from blue to ocher. Even after the performance of the Indian team in the World Cup, the controversy over the color of the jersey did not stop. However, this time Hockey India has given the message of going back to the old tradition by choosing the blue color for the first time for the Asian Games.
The Indian team disappointed in the World Cup
Despite all the talk about jersey colors, both the Indian men’s and women’s teams at the World Cup ended up not having the expected success. The men’s team played six matches and won only two. As a result, the competition had to finish from the eighth place. The women’s team, however, performed relatively well to finish fifth. It was the women’s team’s best ever result at the World Cup. However, the dream of winning the title of both the teams did not come true.
Team India has a new goal in the blue jersey
After the disappointment of the World Cup, the Indian hockey team will aim to turn around in the Asian Games. And in that fight, both men and women will be seen in the familiar blue jersey. Hockey India’s decision also maintains the traditional identity of the Indian team. At the same time, the organization’s stance has become somewhat clearer after the recent controversy over the ocher jersey. The fans will keep an eye on how successful the Indian hockey team gets on the field in the blue jersey on a big stage like the Asian Games. The hopes of the country’s hockey-lovers, team India will leave behind the controversy of changing the color of the jersey and make their identity in the performance of the field.