Bhubaneswar: A new controversy has erupted over the change in the Indian hockey team’s jersey colour, with BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik saying the iconic shade of blue is an emotion associated with the nation’s sporting heritage.
Ahead of the 2026 Hockey World Cup, scheduled to be held in the Netherlands and Belgium, Indian players will wear saffron jerseys instead of their traditional blue kits, Hockey India announced earlier.
However, Patnaik expressed strong displeasure over the colour change of the blue kits.
In a detailed post on X, he said: “For decades, this colour united us in hope, in victory, in defeat and in the pursuit of sporting excellence. We have cried, laughed, celebrated and stood proudly with our men and women in blue. Wearing the blue jersey, our teams have won Olympic medals with the national anthem playing on the world stage.”
He explained that the blue colour is derived from the Ashoka Chakra in the national flag, adding that it is a symbol of national pride and identity.
In his words, the blue colour belongs to every Indian.
“When the national hockey teams were struggling for sponsors, #Odisha created history by being the first and only state to support our national teams and our beloved game. Every Odia across the globe was proud of the state’s gift to national hockey. After 41 long years, our men’s team won an Olympic medal. Just because the government changed in Odisha, it should not change our national team colours. This is petty politics of the worst kind,” he noted.
Patnaik also accused the ruling BJP of changing the colours of many things, including buses, over the last two years.
“I am given to understand that this step was taken under pressure from the BJP government in Odisha. Those in authority may deny it, but the fact is that, for the last two years, everybody in Odisha has seen this government’s obsession with changing the colours of buildings, buses and even bridges. It is the only work that is happening in Odisha today. But now the same government has changed the colours of our national team. I strongly condemn this attempt by BJP Odisha to politicise a national game like hockey,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Hockey India clarified that the decision to change the blue kits was taken only after extensive recommendations and detailed consultations with the support staff and players.
In a statement, Hockey India said: “It was observed that the blue playing uniform tended to blend with the blue synthetic playing surface, which is now the standard colour for international hockey pitches. This visual similarity affected on-field clarity and visibility for the players.”
