Hockey India’s ‘blue’ promise goes up in smoke as Indian teams wear saffron at Asian Games

Indian men’s hockey team at the Asian Games (Photo/Hockey India) The Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams wore saffron jerseys in their opening matches at the Asian Games on Sunday, despite Hockey India announcing ahead of the event that the teams would revert to their traditional blue jerseys.Both teams wore saffron in their opening matches against Indonesia and Uzbekistan in Kakamilgahara, Japan.The decision comes after Indian teams, both men and women, also wore saffron during last year’s World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands, leading to a controversy in Hockey India.Indian hockey teams have mostly worn blue jerseys since their Olympic debut in 1928, barring a few rare occasions.Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey had earlier said that the change in jersey color was done without the knowledge or approval of the federation’s elected leadership and executive board. The matter later led to a row within the federation, with Tirkey at odds with HI secretary Bhola Nath Singh, who was seen as pushing for a change in kit colour.However, shortly after the World Cup and ahead of the Asian Games, Tirkey said India would revert to its blue jersey as the primary jersey for the continental event, with white as another option.“The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has given us options regarding the colors of the team jersey and Hockey India has chosen blue as the first choice for the Indian team jersey. Orange will be the second choice,” Tirkey said during the Indian contingent’s elimination ceremony for the Asian Games.But the teams wore saffron in Sunday’s opening matches.The secondary kits would also not be completely blue, a Hockey India source was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. According to a source quoted by PTI, India will have a combination of white and blue as well as a saffron kit.“The two colors of the Indian team’s playing kits for the 2026 Asian Games have always been saffron and a combination of white and sky blue approved by the HI President himself.“You have to ask the President himself as to why the President then said that India will wear blue in the Asian Games,” a HI source told PTI.The change in jersey color was initially explained on the grounds that blue jerseys against blue turf cause visibility problems.