Amid allegations of saffronisation of the system by the ruling BJP government, the Indian national hockey team’s decision to change the jersey colour to full saffron from the blue jersey, which had been worn by the team for decades, drew criticism from social media users, while former India men’s team captain and Olympian Viren Rasquinha described the decision as embarrassing.
The controversy erupted after Hockey India unveiled its new jersey ahead of the 2026 Hockey World Cup, to be jointly hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium from August 14 to 30, which was redesigned in full saffron, replacing the Indian team’s iconic blue strip that had long been the identity of Indian hockey's legacy.
Social media users called out the decision, alleging that the government was drawing the country's sporting bodies into the saffron fold, in line with other public institutions being subjected to saffronisation, as many viewed the new jersey as a reflection of the ruling BJP’s ideological embodiment.
Among the critics of the move was former India men’s team captain and Olympian Viren Rasquinha, who put out an emotional note identifying the blue jersey as India’s icon while calling the decision embarrassing.
"I must say that Hockey India has done many good things for Indian hockey. But this is embarrassing. The legacy and identity of the Indian team has always been blue. I wore the blue jersey with pride for many years. Fans want to see our Indian team in blue. What is the logic of orange?" he wrote.
So sensitive are matters related to the ruling government and the party that he had to make it clear that what he intended had nothing to do with politics and that his sole concern was related to the sport, comparing it with Argentina identifying its national football team with blue-and-white stripes as India identifies its hockey team with the blue jersey.
Meanwhile, Hockey India defended the move, hailing the saffron colour and identifying it with courage, sacrifice and victory, claiming that it drew inspiration from the Indian national flag and the rising sun, while describing the tricolour piping along the shoulders and sides as a message that upholds "Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat".
The governing body said the kit features mandala-inspired patterns celebrating India's cultural heritage, navy-blue accents representing the Ashoka Chakra, and a modern interpretation of the Sudarshan Chakra across the chest.
The controversy has also revived memories of the debate surrounding India's orange alternate cricket jersey during the 2019 ODI World Cup. Similar concerns resurfaced ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup after reports suggested that a predominantly saffron kit was being considered for the India-Pakistan match, although the Board of Control for Cricket in India later dismissed the reports and retained the team's signature blue jersey.