‘Another low’: Kapil Sibal slams saffron colour change of hockey jersey

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday (August 1, 2026) slammed the change of jersey colour of the Indian hockey team from the standard blue to saffron as “one other low” that had not been seen earlier than.

The Indian males’s and ladies’s hockey groups will probably be seen in saffron jerseys as a substitute of their conventional blue kits at subsequent month’s FIH World Cup within the Netherlands and Belgium, a change that has been questioned by former gamers however defended as a technical necessity by Hockey India.

“FIH Hockey World Cup: Groups conventional: Blue Jersey Turns Saffron! Neither the Hockey India President nor the Government Board knew,” Sibal mentioned on X.

“Logic: If the jersey is saffron, the thoughts might flip saffron! One other low, not seen earlier than!” the Unbiased Rajya Sabha MP mentioned.

Unveiling the brand new jersey on its social media pages, Hockey India mentioned the design and color of the jersey is supposed to “inform a narrative” and carry “India’s delight” and was finalised after consultations with gamers and help workers.

The physique mentioned saffron symbolises braveness, sacrifice and victory and no exterior strain guided its determination.

“It was noticed that the blue taking part in uniform tended to mix/merge with the blue artificial taking part in floor, which is now the usual color of worldwide hockey pitches. This visible similarity affected on-field readability and visibility for the gamers,” Hockey India mentioned in an announcement after former captains like Viren Rasquinha questioned the logic behind the transfer.

All the identical, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey mentioned the decision was taken without his knowledge. Secretary Bhola Nath Singh differed, insisting that “all officers had been conscious” of the change.

The transfer has additionally invited scathing criticism from former gamers similar to Vasudevan Bhaskaran, Viren Rasquinha, Ajit Pal Singh, and Pargat Singh, all of whom questioned the logic behind such a transfer which will have an effect on the group’s identification constructed over a long time.