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

The Indian hockey teams, both men and women, turned up in saffron kits for their respective opening matches of the Asian Games on Sunday (September 20, 2026) 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.