‘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 normal blue to saffron as “one other low” that had not been seen earlier than.

The Indian males’s and girls’s hockey groups can 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 stated on X.

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

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

The physique stated saffron symbolises braveness, sacrifice and victory and no exterior strain guided its choice.

“It was noticed that the blue enjoying uniform tended to mix/merge with the blue artificial enjoying 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 stated in an announcement after former captains like Viren Rasquinha questioned the logic behind the transfer.

All the identical, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey stated 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 comparable 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 crew’s identification constructed over many years.