Indian hockey team, from now on, will wear the orange jersey for home matches instead of the traditional blue jersey in the FIH World Cup 2026. According to Hockey India, the team’s traditional blue kit blended into the blue synthetic turf, reducing on-field visibility and making teammate recognition more difficult. They said in a statement, “It was observed that the blue playing uniform tended to blend/merge with the blue synthetic playing surface, which is now the standard colour of international hockey pitches. This visual similarity affected on-field clarity and visibility for the players.”

 A day after the confirmation, this decision has sparked an enormous amount of debate, and now, to add fuel to the fire, Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey has interfered in the matter, asking for a proper clarification from the board officials. He asked for clarity on the behind-the-scenes discussions. An internal communication report by NDTV says Tirkey was not consulted before the decision, despite his earlier appeal to keep the issue free from political debate. He later issued a directive seeking an immediate explanation from federation officials over the Executive Board being bypassed and informed them that the Odisha government had also requested clarification.

The Saffron Jersey row

The change in the jersey colours has sparked widespread controversy, and in some way it became a political matter too. At the same time, the federation completely turned this matter into a technical development. Tirkey’s allegations immediately revealed a lack of consultation and raised questions about governance.

A saffron-coloured hockey jersey triggered controversy.
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Hockey India seeks clarification over India’s new saffron jersey. । X/@industry-weird

Speaking to ANI on Thursday, Tirkey had said: “Look, there is a lot of discussion going on right now about the Team India jersey colour. People are talking from a political angle, and there’s a lot of controversial talk. It’s nothing like that. As I told you before, Team India’s jersey colour has changed in the past as well-in 2014 and also in 2018. Even back when I used to play, we wore dark blue as well.

What did Tirkey write in the email?

In the initial email to the board, Dilip Tirkey wrote,”I wish to bring to your attention the recent change in the colour of the Indian national team’s jersey. This decision appears to have been taken and implemented without being placed before the Executive Board for discussion and without my prior knowledge.

Dilip Tirkey writes an email to Hockey India.
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Dilip Tirkey’s question has sparked controversy. । X

“My concern is not with the choice of saffron itself. However, a decision of this significance, involving the identity and representation of our national team, should ideally have been discussed with the elected leadership and the Executive Board before implementation.

“The matter has since attracted considerable media attention and, unfortunately, political interpretation in certain quarters. With the World Cup approaching, I have publicly clarified that the change was purely a sporting decision so that the focus remains on the team and its preparations.

“I have also been asked by the Government of Odisha to provide clarification regarding this matter. I therefore request the concerned Hockey India officials to provide me with a written clarification at the earliest, outlining the basis for the decision, the process followed, and the circumstances under which the change was approved and implemented. This will enable me to respond appropriately and accurately.”

Dilip Tirkey questioned Hockey Federation
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Dilip Tirkey questioned the Hockey Federation . । X

In his follow-up email, Tirkey sought answers to five questions, including who approved the decision and why top Executive Board members were kept uninformed before it was made public.