India’s hockey teams will return to blue jerseys at the Asian Games 2026. They switched to saffron and white for the Hockey World Cup in Belgium, which triggered enormous criticism on social media. Several former hockey players objected to the move as well.
Now, they return to blue, which has been closely associated with the Indian hockey teams. The national teams have predominantly worn blue since India first appeared at the Olympics in 1928, although there have been occasional departures from the traditional colour.
The jersey debate also exposed differences within Hockey India over how the change was handled. An email exchange that began on August 6 showed a senior federation official proposing saffron as the main colour and white as the secondary option for both teams. HI president Dilip Tirkey subsequently intervened, asking for blue to be retained as the primary colour, with saffron as the second choice.
Ultimately, it was decided that the Indian teams will don blue in the upcoming Asian Games. Tirkey confirmed the development, saying that wearing saffron in the World Cup was a one-off affair and they now return to blue.
“I had stated even before the World Cup that the orange jersey colour was not permanent; it could be changed in the future. Now, blue is back for the Asian Games. The team will play in blue jerseys,” Tirkey said during Asian Games send-off event in New Delhi.
Tirkey wasn’t aware of the saffron switch
Tirkey earlier said that he himself had not been consulted about the change to Saffron and claimed he learned about it only shortly before the decision was implemented. He subsequently sought explanations from board members over the procedure followed.
Meanwhile, the federation clarified that the case for the saffron kit centred on visibility. Officials argued that a blue shirt against a blue playing surface could make it harder for players to distinguish teammates and affect coordination. Eventually, the disagreement went beyond the choice of colours, with Tirkey questioning the institutional process through which the change had been approved.
“At the outset, I wish to make it clear that the issue under consideration is not merely the colour or design of a playing jersey. The matter concerns the decision-making process adopted for a change involving one of the most recognisable symbols of Indian hockey, the authority under which such a decision was taken, the consultations undertaken, compliance with Hockey India’s governance framework, and whether appropriate institutional processes were followed,” Tirkey wrote.
With inputs from PTI
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