Men's and Women's Hockey Team Jersey Switches to Saffron, What Hockey India Told
New Delhi: The color of the Indian men's and women's hockey team's jersey has been changed from blue to saffron.
The FIH World Cup is scheduled to take place from August 15 to 30 in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Explaining the change, Hockey India stated, "We would like to inform you that the decision to change the uniform color was taken following detailed consultations with the support staff and players. The primary reason was technical. It was observed that the blue playing uniform tended to blend in with the blue synthetic playing surface—which is now the standard color for international hockey pitches. This lack of contrast made it difficult for players to see each other clearly on the field."
Hockey India added, "In light of this, the coaches and players suggested alternative colors such as yellow or saffron. After careful consideration, saffron was finalized. Beyond meeting technical requirements, the color saffron holds deep significance as it is one of the colors of our national flag, symbolizing courage, sacrifice, and national pride."
"It is also worth noting that changing jersey colors is not new to Indian hockey. The national team's playing kit color has been altered periodically based on requirements. For instance, the team's jersey color was changed to yellow during the 2014 Hockey World Cup, and to sky blue—featuring a completely different design—during the 2018 Hockey World Cup.
This shift to saffron has been made by taking into account both the technical feedback received from coaches and players and the symbolic importance of the color, given its presence in the national flag."