No longer saffron? The Indian hockey team will resort back to its traditional blue jersey in the Asian Games, according to a report. Ahead of the Hockey World Cup last month, Hockey India had chosen saffron as the jersey colour. It led to widespread backlash as the move away from the traditional blue was questioned by former men’s team captain Viren Rasquinha. Hockey India had then stated that the decision to change the primary uniform colour was made because the previous blue kits merged visually with the blue synthetic playing surface.
Hockey India also pointed out that changes to the national team’s jersey colour were not unprecedented, citing the use of yellow during the 2014 FIH Hockey World Cup and sky blue with a different design during the 2018 edition.
HI president Dilip Tirkey raised further questions and said the decision was taken without the knowledge of the federation’s elected leadership or Executive Board.
However, for the Asian Games, India’s first-choice kit will be blue. “The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) asked us our preferred choice of kit, and HI has given its first preference as blue, with the secondary colour being saffron,” HI treasurer Shekar Manoharan said.
“IOA asked us about our preference of colour for kit, we gave blue as primary and saffron as the second one. As I had already said before the World Cup that the colour change is not permanent,” Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey said on the sidelines of the Asian Games contingent send-off on Tuesday.
Another top Hockey India official added, “The kits for Asian Games, Olympics and CWG are designed by IOA and they ask preference from every federation. So we gave our choice, it has nothing to do with the controversy surrounding jersey colour ahead of World Cup.”
The Asian Games will be an important assignment for the Indian teams, with the tournament also offering a crucial opportunity to secure qualification to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and strengthen their position on the continental stage.
The governing body had earlier said suggestions were sought regarding potential alternative colours. Ultimately, saffron was selected as the base colour because it features on the country’s national flag.
“In light of the above, the coaches and players suggested alternative colours, such as yellow or saffron. After careful consideration, saffron was finalised. Apart from addressing the technical requirement, saffron holds deep significance as one of the colours of our National Flag, symbolising courage, sacrifice, and national pride.”
Featured Video Of The Day
Spain Vs Argentina | Dani Olmo On WC Triumph: ‘Wanted To Set An Example For The Next Generation’
Topics mentioned in this article
Source link
[ad_3]
