“I must say that Hockey India has done many good things for Indian hockey. But this is embarrassing.” That was Viren Rasquinha, a former men’s team captain and Olympian, reacting to the news that India will play next month’s FIH World Cup in saffron, not blue.
Hockey India revealed the new kit for both the men’s and women’s teams ahead of the tournament in the Netherlands and Belgium. For decades the national side has played in blue. The switch to what many call “kesariya” brought immediate backlash and a loud public argument.
Rasquinha did not soften it. “The legacy & identity of the Indian team has always been BLUE,” he said. “I wore the Blue jersey with pride for many years. Fans want to see our Indian team in blue. What is the logic of orange?”
The federation’s answer
Hockey India said the reason was technical. In a statement it said the blue uniform tended to blend with the blue synthetic surface that is now standard for international hockey, which hurt clarity and visibility for players. It added that it had held “detailed consultations with the support staff and players.”
President Dilip Tirkey, speaking to ANI, pointed to earlier precedents: yellow kits at the 2014 World Cup and sky-blue designs in 2018.
The politics
The jersey keeps blue and Tricolour accents, but the colour carries political weight. Saffron has been tied to the ruling government for the past decade and a half, which has given rise to the term “saffronisation”. The launch video leaned on nationalist imagery, pairing the saffron base with Devanagari script, Sudarshan Chakra graphics and the government slogan “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.”
A senior official told PTI the criticism was misplaced. “There is nothing political about it. What’s wrong in saffron being the first jersey? Saffron is part of our Tricolour. Besides, change is always welcome.”
Rasquinha, for his part, said on X that he wanted no part of the political reading. “I’m seeing many unnecessary political comments on this. I don’t want to get into any of that. My simple and humble point is on pride, identity & legacy,” he wrote.
Indian cricket has been here before. The men’s team wore an orange away jersey at the 2019 ODI World Cup in England, and the move drew widespread condemnation. Since then, orange and Tricolour sleeves and accents have become common on kits that were once all blue.
