India Hockey Team Reverts to Blue Jerseys for Asian Games

India's national hockey teams will wear their traditional blue jerseys as the primary kit for the upcoming Asian Games, Hockey India has confirmed. The decision reverses a recent change that had seen saffron adopted as the main color, a move that sparked widespread debate and criticism. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) requested Hockey India's preferred choice for the team kits, and blue has been designated as the first choice, with saffron to serve as the secondary option. Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey stated that the saffron jersey color was never intended to be permanent and that blue is now back for the Asian Games. The initial decision to switch to saffron kits, which the teams wore during the recently concluded World Cup, drew considerable backlash. Critics, including former national captains, questioned the departure from the team's long-standing blue color. Hockey India had previously justified the change by citing visibility concerns, suggesting that blue jerseys were difficult to distinguish against blue playing surfaces. However, this explanation did not quell the controversy.