‘Another low’: Kapil Sibal slams saffron colour change of hockey jersey

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday (August 1, 2026) slammed the change of jersey colour of the Indian hockey team from the traditional blue to saffron as “another low” that had not been seen before.

The Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams will be seen in saffron jerseys instead of their traditional blue kits at next month’s FIH World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium, a change that has been questioned by former players but defended as a technical necessity by Hockey India.

“FIH Hockey World Cup: Teams traditional: Blue Jersey Turns Saffron! Neither the Hockey India President nor the Executive Board knew,” Sibal said on X.

“Logic: If the jersey is saffron, the mind may turn saffron! Another low, not seen before!” the Independent Rajya Sabha MP said.

Unveiling the new jersey on its social media pages, Hockey India said the design and colour of the jersey is meant to “tell a story” and carry “India’s pride” and was finalised after consultations with players and support staff.

The body said saffron symbolises courage, sacrifice and victory and no external pressure guided its decision.

“It was observed that the blue playing uniform tended to blend/merge with the blue synthetic playing surface, which is now the standard colour of international hockey pitches. This visual similarity affected on-field clarity and visibility for the players,” Hockey India said in a statement after former captains like Viren Rasquinha questioned the logic behind the move.

All the same, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey said the decision was taken without his knowledge. Secretary Bhola Nath Singh differed, insisting that “all officials were aware” of the change.

The move has also invited scathing criticism from former players such as Vasudevan Bhaskaran, Viren Rasquinha, Ajit Pal Singh, and Pargat Singh, all of whom questioned the logic behind such a move that may affect the team’s identity built over decades.