Hockey India President Tirkey says wasn't consulted on saffron jersey decision
Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey has publicly stated he was not consulted regarding the decision to change the national team's jersey color to saffron. While officials claim the change was a technical necessity for visibility on blue turf, the move has faced significant backlash from former players and internal leadership.
Why it matters
The controversy reflects broader tensions regarding the politicization of sports symbols and internal governance disputes within national sporting bodies.
The furore over the Indian hockey team's new saffron jerseys has triggered a bit of wrangling within Hockey India, with President Dilip Tirkey calling it a decision that was taken without his knowledge and secretary Bhola Nath Singh insisting that "all officials were aware" of the change.
The Indian hockey teams, traditionally attired in blue, will be donning saffron kits during the World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium starting August 15. The change in the uniform's colour, which was announced on July 27, invited scathing criticism from former players such as Vasudevan Bhaskaran, Viren Rasquinha, Ajit Pal Singh and Pargat Singh among others.
All of them questioned the logic behind such a move, asserting that it would affect the team's identity built over decades.
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