Former Indian hockey captain Viren Rasquinha is furious at the new jersey for the team at the upcoming FIH World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium. Indian athletes across sports wear blue, and the hockey team has been no different over the years. The shade of blue may vary at times but the base colour has always been the same. A few days ago, Hockey India released the new jersey for the hockey team (for both men and women), and to the surprise of many, the time-honoured blue had been replaced by saffron (kesariya in Hindi).
Rasquinha, who represented the country back in the day with distinction, couldn’t hide his disappointment. In his post on X, he questioned the logic behind the new colour.
“I must say that the Hockey India has done many good things for Indian hockey, but this is embarrassing. The legacy & identity of the Indian team has always been BLUE. I wore the Blue jersey with pride for many years. Fans want to see our Indian team in blue. What is the logic of orange?” Rasquinha fumed in his post on Wednesday.
On July 27, Hockey India shared a descriptive video on social media. Everything done on the jersey was properly explained with the famous Bollywood singer Sukhwinder Singh singing a patriotic song in the background.
“Saffron (kesariya): symbolises courage, sacrifice and victory. Inspired by the Indian national flag and the rising sun, it reflects new beginnings.
{{/usCountry}}“Saffron (kesariya): symbolises courage, sacrifice and victory. Inspired by the Indian national flag and the rising sun, it reflects new beginnings.
{{/usCountry}}“Mandala: inspired patterns celebrate India’s rich cultural heritage.
“Blue accent: deep navy blue inspired by the Ashoka Chakra, symbolises progress, peace and focus.
“Chest graphic: modern interpretation of the Sudarshan Chakra, symbolising strength, unity and momentum.
"Tricolour piping (saffron, white, green): Along the shoulders and sides, reinforces national pride.
“India: written in stylised Devanagari script, celebrates linguistic and cultural diversity.
“Odisha: think India, think Odisha. It highlights Odisha’s commitment to Indian hockey.
“New jersey embodies the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat (One India, Supreme India," the video explained the entire thought process.
Clearly, it’s a well-thought-out jersey. But it may be noted that Rasquinha is not complaining about anything else. It’s only the colour he has issues with, which is quite understandable. Not just the players, even the fans are used to seeing Indian athletes in blue. In the upcoming World Cup, it will be a new experience for them for sure. However, the most important thing is that the Indian team does well in the event. The men’s team has won the event just once, in 1975. It will be great if they can end the 51-year drought. The women's team is yet to win its first World Cup.
The FIH World Cup (across both men's and women's) kicks off on August 15 and ends on August 30.