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 was questioned by former captain Viren Rasquinha but defended as a technical necessity by Hockey India.

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. HI said saffron symbolises courage, sacrifice and victory.

“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 Rasquinha questioned the logic behind the move.

“…the coaches and players suggested alternative colours such as yellow or saffron. After careful consideration, saffron was finalised.

“Apart from addressing the technical requirement, saffron also holds deep significance as one of the colours of our National Flag, symbolising courage, sacrifice and national pride,” it added.

The World Cup will run from August 15 to 30.

The jersey also has ‘Mandala’ inspired patterns which celebrate India’s cultural heritage. Hockey India said that the deep navy blue accents are inspired by the Ashoka Chakra, which symbolises progress, peace and focus.

HI said the chest graphic is a modern interpretation of the Sudarshan Chakra, symbolising “strength, unity, and momentum.” There is also a tricolour piping along the shoulders and sides, which “reinforces national pride.”

‘INDIA’ is written on the front of the jersey in stylised ‘Devanagari’ script to “celebrate linguistic and cultural diversity.”

Besides saffron, the two Indian teams will also have white jerseys in their kits featuring the same new design.

Rasquinha said unveiled uniform looks “embarrassing”.

“I must say that @TheHockeyIndia has done many good things for… But this is embarrassing. The legacy & identity of the Indian team has always been BLUE. I wore the Blue jersey with pride for many years. Fans want to see our Indian team in blue. What is the logic of orange?,” Rasquinha, who is also the CEO of sports foundation Olympic Gold Quest, wrote on ‘X’.

“My simple & humble point is on pride, identity & legacy.”

Nothing unprecedented: HI

HI defended its decision, stating that change in national teams’ jersey was not a new thing in Indian hockey and has happened in the past as well.

“It may also be noted that changes in jersey colour are not unprecedented in Indian hockey. From time to time, the national team’s playing kit colour has been modified as per functional and other requirements,” the statement read.

“For instance, during the 2014 FIH Hockey World Cup, the team’s jersey colour was changed to yellow and during the 2018 FIH Hockey World Cup the colour was changed to sky blue with a completely different design,” it said.

“The present change to saffron was implemented considering both the technical feedback received from the coaches and players and the symbolic value associated with the colour being part of our National Flag,” HI added.

The Indian men’s hockey team has begun 2026 — a year of major stakes — on a worrying note. Four matches in the Rourkela leg of the FIH Pro League ended in four defeats, including a humiliating 8–0 loss to Argentina. With the Asian Games in Japan and the Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium just months away, the results have raised uncomfortable questions.

Are these early-season stumbles merely part of a longer preparation cycle, or do they point to serious issues in defence, goalkeeping, fitness and mentality? Should youngsters have been blooded in earlier? And how much pressure is mounting on coach Craig Fulton?

In this episode of In Focus, we examine what went wrong in Rourkela, the search for stability in goal after P.R. Sreejesh, and why the core group of players who have been in the team for years need to be pulled up for the poor run of form.

(Editor’s note: This episode was recorded ahead of the Hobart leg of the FIH Pro League games)

Host: Reuben Joe Joseph

Guest: Uthra Ganesan, The Hindu’s hockey correspondent

Producer: Jude Weston

For more episodes of In Focus:

India’s disappointing opening home leg of the FIH Pro League has caused concern and top Hockey India officials admit the situation is far from ideal even as the team left for Hobart early morning on Monday for the next leg against Australia and Spain with a few changes.

Captain Harmanpreet Singh has pulled out due to personal reasons and Hardik Singh will lead the side that has a few changes with Pawan replaced by Mohith HS in goalkeeping and Sukhjeet Singh out with injury and several players included from the group that has already been training in Australia.

“There is a lot of talk around a few players being rested. But all of them, and a few others, were part of the Indian side all through last year and we still did not have any outstanding results. Consistency is an issue, especially among the senior players. A lot of them have not been consistent for a while now. Occasional flashes of brilliance cannot replace sustained performance. We need to look at it and the players should also understand it,” HI president Dilip Tirkey was blunt in his assessment.

Also Read | Pro League: India ends home leg with another loss

Officials also confirmed that a reset might be required in terms of the working style of the team management. “Nothing against being friendly with players but coaches need to understand that the Indian culture is different; a minimum distance between coach and players is essential to stay objective. Fitness is anther issue we need to look at,” HI sources agreed.

Squad for Hobart: Goalkeepers: Suraj Karkera, Mohith HS; Defenders: Amit Rohidas, Jarmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit, Amandeep Lakra, Yashdeep Siwach, PC Boby; midfielders: Rajinder Singh, Manmeet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Hardik Singh, Rabichandra Singh, Vishnu Kant Singh, Raj Kumar Pal; forwards: Abhishek, Shilanand Lakra, Mandeep Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Angad Bir Singh, Maninder Singh.

(EOM)