Benchmarks
Nifty23,346.4075.81

FEATURED FUNDS★★★★★

Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund Direct-Growth

5Y Return
22 %

Invest Now

Enter search text:

Business News›News›Sports›Hockey›Asian Games 2026: Indian hockey teams don saffron jerseys in opening matches

Read Today's Paper

Asian Games 2026: Indian hockey teams don saffron jerseys in opening matches
Synopsis

Indian hockey teams wore saffron kits for their Asian Games opening matches. This occurred despite Hockey India's prior declaration to revert to blue uniforms. The kit color change caused internal discord within the federation leadership. Visibility issues on blue turf were cited as a reason for the saffron choice. The teams have historically worn blue jerseys since their Olympic debut.

Kakamilgahara: The Indian hockey teams, both men and women, turned up in saffron kits for their respective opening matches of the Asian Games on Sunday despite the pre-event declaration by Hockey India that they would revert to blue uniforms.



The two Indian teams had first played in saffron during last month's World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands, which created a massive controversy.



The decision triggered internal discord when HI president Dilip Tirkey stated that the change was implemented without the knowledge or approval of the federation's elected leadership and Executive Board.

It eventually snowballed into a full-blown turf war in the federation with Tirkey at odds with HI secretary Bhola Nath Singh, who is perceived to have driven the change of kit colour.



But soon after the World Cup and just before the Asian Games, Tirkey asserted that India will revert to the iconic blue jersey at the continental extravaganza as their primary kit along with white.




"The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had given us options regarding the team kit colours and Hockey India selected blue as the first choice for the Indian team's kit. Orange will be the second choice," Tirkey had said during the send-off ceremony of Asian Games-bound Indian contingent.

But both the men's and women's teams turned out in saffron jerseys in their opening matches against Indonesia and Uzbekistan respectively in Kakamilgahara (Japan), at the Asian Games on Sunday.

A Hockey India source, requesting anonymity, stated that the secondary kits are not even going to be all-blue but a combination of white and blue along with the saffron attire.



"The two colours for the Indian teams' playing kits for the Asian Games 2026 were always saffron and the combination of white and sky blue, which was approved by the HI president himself.



"As to why the president then said that India will wear all-blue at the Asian Games is something you need to ask the president himself," the HI source told PTI.



The rationale provided for changing the jersey colour was that playing in blue jerseys on a blue turf caused visibility issues.



The Indian hockey teams have largely worn blue jerseys since the country made its Olympic debut in 1928, except for a few isolated instances.

Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
Add Now!

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)


Read More News on
Indian hockey teamsHockey Indiahockey kitssaffron jerseyDilip Tirkeyblue uniformshockey controversiesAsian Games hockeyAsian Games 2026

Enter search text:

Stories you might be interested in