Naveen Patnaik slams ‘saffron’ shift in India’s national hockey team jersey
Former Odisha CM Patnaik said the men’s and women’s teams had won Olympic medals wearing the blue jersey, with the national anthem playing on the world stage.
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday criticised the reported change in the Indian hockey team’s jersey colour from blue to saffron, alleging that it was an attempt to politicise a national sporting symbol and erase the country’s sporting legacy.
The new Hockey India saffron jersey. (X)
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In a post on X, Patnaik said he was “deeply anguished” by reports that the iconic blue jersey would be replaced with saffron. “The iconic shade of blue of the Indian hockey team is not just a colour but an emotion associated with the nation’s sporting heritage,” he said.
Recalling India’s achievements in international hockey, Patnaik said the men’s and women’s teams had won Olympic medals wearing the blue jersey, with the national anthem playing on the world stage. He said the colour blue, derived from the Ashoka Chakra in the national flag, symbolises national pride and identity. “The colour blue belongs to every Indian,” he said.
Referring to Odisha’s long association with Indian hockey, Patnaik said the state had stepped in as the first and only sponsor of the national men’s and women’s teams at a time when they were struggling to secure corporate backing. “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,” he said.
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Incidentally, the current president of Hockey India, the governing body that administers and conducts field hockey in the country, is Dilip Tirkey, a BJD leader and former Rajya Sabha MP from the party.
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Incidentally, the current president of Hockey India, the governing body that administers and conducts field hockey in the country, is Dilip Tirkey, a BJD leader and former Rajya Sabha MP from the party.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What did Naveen Patnaik criticize about the Indian hockey team's jersey?
Naveen Patnaik criticized the change in the Indian hockey team’s jersey colour from blue to saffron, alleging it was an attempt to politicise a national sporting symbol.
What does the blue jersey symbolize according to Patnaik?
According to Patnaik, the blue jersey symbolizes national pride and identity, derived from the Ashoka Chakra in the national flag.
How has Odisha contributed to the Indian hockey teams?
Odisha was the first and only sponsor of the national men’s and women’s teams at a time when they were struggling to secure corporate backing.
Who is the current president of Hockey India?
The current president of Hockey India is Dilip Tirkey, a BJD leader and former Rajya Sabha MP from the party.
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.
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Home/India News/Naveen Patnaik slams ‘saffron’ shift in India’s national hockey team jersey
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