'From the 1928 Olympic team to the eras of Dhyan Chand, Balbir Singh Sr., Mohammad Shahid, Zafar Iqbal and even the 1980 Moscow Olympic gold medal-winning side, everyone played in the blue jersey.'
Key Points
- Hockey legend Dhanraj Pillay expressed unhappiness with the decision to make saffron the primary jersey colour for the Indian hockey team.
- The controversy arose after Hockey India unveiled saffron as the primary jersey for the men's and women's teams for the upcoming World Cup.
- Pillay highlighted that Indian hockey teams, from the 1928 Olympics to the 1980 Moscow Olympic gold medal-winning side, traditionally played in blue.
- He dismissed the argument that the change was due to blue astro turf, noting teams have played on such surfaces for years without issues.
Hockey legend Dhanraj Pillay said he was not happy with the decision to make saffron the Indian hockey team's primary jersey colour, stating that the blue jersey has been the sport's identity for decades.
The controversy erupted after Hockey India unveiled saffron as the primary jersey for the men's and women's teams for the World Cup, beginning August 15 in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Concerns from Former Players
While former India captain Viren Rasquinha has also expressed reservations over the move, Hockey India has maintained that the decision was taken considering both the technical feedback received from the coaches and players and the symbolic value associated with the colour being part of the National Flag.
Dhanraj, who represented India in 339 international matches, including four Olympics, four World Cups and four Champions Trophy tournaments, said the blue jersey has remained synonymous with Indian hockey for generations.
"The blue jersey has become the identity of Indian hockey. Being one of the colours of our national flag, saffron is important and auspicious but it has never been the traditional colour of Indian hockey. I don't understand why this has suddenly changed after so many years," Dhanraj told PTI.
A Legacy of Blue
"From the 1928 Olympic team to the eras of Dhyan Chand, Balbir Singh Sr., Mohammad Shahid, Zafar Iqbal and even the 1980 Moscow Olympic gold medal-winning side, everyone played in the blue jersey. I played for nearly 15 years and throughout my career our jersey remained blue."
He said players associate themselves with the traditional colours of the national team.
"This is not a franchise tournament like the IPL or Hockey India League where teams wear different colours. The Indian team's identity has always been the blue jersey," he said.
Recalling the only exception he remembered, Dhanraj said India wore a yellow shirt with blue shorts in one match against Argentina during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Debunking the Turf Argument
Rejecting the argument that the change was necessitated due to blue astro turf, he said, "The team has been playing on blue turf for several years and I have never seen any problem because of the jersey colour. Is there any direction from the FIH regarding a blue jersey creating difficulties?"
