The exchange of letters on Friday between Hockey India (HI) functionaries over the controversial change in the colour of the Indian team’s jersey ahead of the FIH World Cup has made it clear that the issue is one of propriety and procedure.
A day after publicly defending the decision to change the jersey colour from traditional blue to saffron, former India captain and HI president Dilip Tirkey wrote to HI officials demanding to know why he or the Executive Board had not been informed formally before such a decision was taken.
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In the evening, HI director general Commander R.K. Srivastava sent a four-page reply stating that the decision was taken “with the concurrence of the office-bearers.” The reply reiterated HI’s claim that blue jerseys against a blue turf created ‘sub-optimal contrast’. It added that the change was made following ‘extensive consultation’ and after “feedback from the national coaching staff, the leadership group of players, a technical review of visibility and contrast issues, design development with the kit partner, and internal clearance through the appropriate officers responsible.”
The letter cited a previous change in jersey colour. “Earlier also, no committee or approval was taken from the Executive Board. One such recent change was done in November/December 2022,” it said.
It is learnt that the discussion around the change in colour began about three to four weeks ago and was restricted to only two or three people in HI. Most of the players and coaches were not aware of the development. The players did not get adequate time to train with the new jersey and give their feedback after wearing it.
Tirkey first got to know about the change in colour through a WhatsApp video message and was not part of any formal discussion, planning or presentation.
HI also did not involve the Odisha Government, even though it is the principal sponsor of the Indian hockey team. Understandably, the Odisha Government, as mentioned in Tirkey’s letter to HI functionaries, flagged the development. HI heavily depends on Odisha not just for sponsorship money, but also for the existence of the Hockey India League.
Both Tirkey’s letter, in which he said he was not concerned about the choice of new colour, and Srivastava’s response, in which he said “HI is an independent, apolitical National Sports Federation,” effectively rejected the theory of saffronisation of the hockey team.
Just days after former captain Asunta Lakra alleged that HI secretary Bhola Nath Singh threatened her when she raised sexual harassment allegations against a former staffer, the jersey controversy has emerged as an undesirable distraction for the Indian players, who are set to compete in two important events — the World Cup and the Asian Games — over the next two months.
Published on Jul 31, 2026
