‘Another low’: Kapil Sibal slams saffron colour change of hockey jersey
Opposition MP Kapil Sibal has criticized the decision to change the Indian hockey team's jersey color from blue to saffron. Hockey India maintains the change is a technical necessity to improve visibility against blue synthetic pitches.
Why it matters
The controversy reflects broader cultural and political tensions in India regarding the use of saffron, which is often associated with the ruling party's ideology.
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.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in