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'No politics involved': India hockey captain ends orange jersey controversy with emphatic clarification
Harmanpreet Singh sought to put an end to speculation over any political undertones behind the decision.
The Indian men's hockey team's decision to swap its iconic blue jersey for an orange strip ahead of next month's FIH Hockey World Cup has sparked widespread debate, with critics alleging a political motive behind the change. The controversy quickly spilled beyond the sport, putting Hockey India under the spotlight. Now, India captain Harmanpreet Singh has broken his silence.
Speaking to RevSportz, Harmanpreet firmly dismissed suggestions of political influence, revealing the real reason behind the decision and who was involved in making it.
“We are focusing on what we should be focusing on,” he said. “We are not paying much attention to these things. It was a collective decision by the team and the coaches. There was no mistake in it.”
The captain echoed Hockey India's earlier clarification, explaining that the change was driven entirely by on-field requirements. He pointed out that hockey has already undergone several equipment changes over the years, including the switch from yellow to white balls, and said the orange jersey followed the same logic after players trained on blue synthetic pitches ahead of the World Cup.
“When we used to play with the yellow ball, there were difficulties then as well,” Harmanpreet said. “We keep analysing these things step by step, and if changes are needed, they should be made. During our training on the blue pitch for the World Cup, the difference was clear. You can spot your team-mates much more easily. That's the reason behind the change.”
He also sought to put an end to speculation over any political undertones behind the decision.
“There is no politics in it,” he said. “It was the team's decision. The coaches and the players took it together. We should focus on our game and support the team instead of creating unnecessary controversy.”
Hockey India unveiled the new jersey on Thursday through its social media channels, saying the design was meant to "tell a story" while reflecting "India's pride." According to the federation, the final decision was taken after extensive consultations with players and support staff.
In a detailed clarification issued later, Hockey India said the move was prompted by technical concerns rather than symbolism.
"It was observed that the blue playing uniform tended to blend 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," the federation said.
It added that players and coaches had suggested alternative colours, including yellow and saffron, before eventually settling on orange.
"Apart from addressing the technical requirement, saffron also holds deep significance as one of the colours of our National Flag, symbolising courage, sacrifice and national pride," Hockey India said.
The clarification came after former India captain Viren Rasquinha and several others questioned the rationale behind replacing the team's traditional blue strip.
