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India men’s hockey coach Craig Fulton has backed the team’s shift to saffron jerseys, saying that the colour provides better visibility on blue pitches.
Indian men’s hockey team celebrates their win against Malaysia (Picture credit: AP)
Indian men’s hockey team coach Craig Fulton has said that he isn’t the right person to speak about jersey colours, adding that while playing on a blue pitch, the orange jersey did suit the eyes because of the contrast that it created.
The decision to change the colour ahead of the FIH World Cup earlier this year sparked widespread debate, drawing criticism from fans and former players alike. The move brought internal divisions within Hockey India to the fore as well, although the federation stood by its decision.
Hockey India maintained that the decision followed consultations with players, coaches and support staff, stressing that technical considerations, rather than aesthetics, had guided the change.
“I am not here to say it is right or wrong, what colour the jersey should be or should not be. But the more you play on a blue pitch, the more contrast you can create and that makes a difference,” Fulton said while speaking to Sports stars.
“So from that technical point of view, I think it has made a really important difference. So when we play Japan in the final and they play in dark blue on a dark blue pitch at night, it isn’t easy,” Fulton added.
“Now we are playing in orange, still playing for India, but in orange on a blue pitch at night, we see each other like clear as day,” Fulton said.
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey had claimed that neither he nor the Executive Board had been consulted before the jersey colour change was approved. In an email to senior officials, he had questioned who had authorised the move and why the federation’s elected leadership had been kept out of the decision-making process.
Secretary-general Bholanath Singh, however, stood by the decision, maintaining that the change had been made after consultations with the players and team management.
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Ask News18Indian men’s hockey team coach Craig Fulton stated that playing in an orange jersey on a blue pitch creates better visual contrast. He explained that this technical advantage allows players to spot each other much more clearly at night compared to wearing dark blue on a dark blue pitch.
Ask News18November 10, 2026, 9:30 PM IST
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