Why Indian hockey teams wore saffron despite assurance of blue kits at Asian Games

Indian hockey's kit controversy resurfaced at the Asian Games as both the men's and women's teams wore saffron in their opening matches, despite Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey's assurance that they would return to blue. The federation's conflicting claims have added to the row.

In Short

• India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams wore saffron in their Asiad openers
• Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey had assured a return to blue kits
• The saffron kits revive the controversy that erupted at the World Cup

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

But soon after the World Cup and just before the Asian Games, Tirkey asserted that India will revert to the iconic blue jersey at the continental extravaganza as their primary kit along with white.

"The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had given us options regarding the team kit colours and Hockey India selected blue as the first choice for the Indian team's kit. Orange will be the second choice," Tirkey had said during the send-off ceremony of Asian Games-bound Indian contingent.

But both the men's and women's teams turned out in saffron jerseys in their opening matches against Indonesia and Uzbekistan respectively in Kakamilgahara (Japan), at the Asian Games on Sunday.

A Hockey India source, requesting anonymity, stated that the secondary kits are not even going to be all-blue but a combination of white and blue along with the saffron attire.

"The two colours for the Indian teams' playing kits for the Asian Games 2026 were always saffron and the combination of white and sky blue, which was approved by the HI president himself.

"As to why the president then said that India will wear all-blue at the Asian Games is something you need to ask the president himself," the HI source told PTI.

The rationale provided for changing the jersey colour was that playing in blue jerseys on a blue turf caused visibility issues.

The Indian hockey teams have largely worn blue jerseys since the country made its Olympic debut in 1928, except for a few isolated instances.

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