The decision to change the Indian hockey team’s primary jersey colour to saffron for the upcoming World Cup has sparked criticism from former captains Pargat Singh and Dhanraj Pillay. Both former players highlighted that the blue jersey has long been considered the team’s identity.
Hockey India unveiled the new kit for both the men’s and women’s teams in anticipation of the World Cup, which is scheduled to commence on August 15 in the Netherlands and Belgium. This change has led to concerns among some former players.
Concerns from Former Players
Dhanraj Pillay, who represented India in 339 international matches, including four Olympics, four World Cups, and four Champions Trophy tournaments, stated that the blue jersey has been linked with Indian hockey for decades. He expressed his lack of understanding regarding the sudden change after many years, noting that while saffron is an important and auspicious colour as part of the National Flag, it has never been the traditional colour for Indian hockey.
Pillay recalled that teams from the 1928 Olympic team through the eras of Dhyan Chand, Balbir Singh Sr., Mohammad Shahid, and Zafar Iqbal, including the 1980 Moscow Olympic gold medal-winning side, all played in blue jerseys. He mentioned that throughout his nearly 15-year career, the jersey remained blue. He emphasized that players identify with the traditional colours of their national team, distinguishing it from franchise tournaments like the IPL or Hockey India League where teams wear various colours.
The former captain also dismissed the argument that the change was necessary due to hockey being played on blue astro turf. He pointed out that the team has been playing on blue turf for several years without any reported issues concerning jersey colour visibility. Pillay questioned whether there was any directive from the FIH indicating difficulties with a blue jersey on such surfaces.
Pargat Singh, another former India captain, was more critical of the decision, suggesting that “everything in the country is being saffronised,” including education, history, and now sports. He voiced concerns that such thinking entering sports, which typically unites people beyond religion, caste, and politics, is unfortunate. Singh also rejected Hockey India’s explanation that the change was made to improve visibility on blue turf, stating he never experienced such an issue and questioned why, if visibility was a concern, only saffron was chosen among other options.
Singh further dismissed the claim that the decision was based on feedback from players and coaches, asserting that players and coaches do not typically make such recommendations. He highlighted that the FIH already has India’s jersey colours registered and that the blue jersey has always been the identity of the Indian hockey team. He noted that generations of Indian players, from historical figures to the current squad, have represented India in blue, and iconic photographs of Indian hockey feature players in blue.
He added that while India traditionally had a white change kit, the saffron jersey has now been registered as the primary strip. Singh concluded that he saw no logic behind this decision. Former India captain Viren Rasquinha has also expressed reservations regarding the move.
Hockey India’s Stance
Despite the criticism, Hockey India has maintained that the decision was made after considering technical feedback from both coaches and players. They also cited the symbolic value of saffron, being one of the colours of the National Flag, as a factor in their choice.
The World Cup is set to begin on August 15 in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Arjun Sharma
Sports Reporter