Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey has sought a formal explanation from the sport’s national governing body about the decision to change the colour of the team’s jersey to saffron from blue, ahead of the World Cup, The Times of India reported on Friday.Tirkey also said that Hockey India’s Executive Board was not consulted before the change was implemented, The Indian Express reported.Following a backlash on social media, Hockey India had said on Thursday that the change had been made following consultations with players and the staff because of technical requirements.The federation said the blue jersey blended with the blue synthetic playing surface used in international hockey, affecting visibility, and that players and coaches had suggested alternative colours, including saffron and yellow.The jersey also has darker patterns to “celebrate India’s rich cultural heritage”. The federation said that the change “embodies the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat [One India, Supreme India]”.The new jersey was launched ahead of the men’s and women’s world cup in Belgium and the Netherlands in August.Tirkey sent two emails to Executive Board members and Hockey India executive director RK Srivastava on Friday, stating that the decision appeared to have been taken without being placed before the Executive Board or brought to his knowledge, according to The Indian Express.“My concern is not with the choice of saffron itself,” he purportedly said. “However, a decision of this significance, involving the identity and representation of our national team, should ideally have been discussed with the elected leadership and the Executive Board before implementation.”He further highlighted that the change had attracted “considerable media attention and, unfortunately, political interpretation in certain quarters”.He further said in his email that he decided to publicly describe the jersey change as a “purely sporting decision” so that the focus remained on India’s World Cup preparations.Tirkey said the Odisha government had also sought an explanation from him and requested Hockey India officials to provide a written clarification outlining the basis for the decision, the process followed and the circumstances under which it was approved and implemented.— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) July 31, 2026