Hockey India has embroiled itself in unnecessary controversies by changing the colour of the Indian hockey team's uniform.
Hockey India has embroiled itself in unnecessary controversies by changing the colour of the Indian hockey team's uniform. The team's jersey was traditionally light blue, but now it is saffron. No official information about this change has ever been shared with the media before. Suddenly, pictures of the saffron-clad team were displayed on the National Hockey Federation's website. The Indian men's and women's hockey teams' jerseys for the Hockey World Cup in Holland and Belgium starting August 15 will be saffron, not blue.
President of Hockey India, Dr. Dilip Tirkey, a former captain of the Indian team and a former Rajya Sabha member of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) from Odisha, claims that he had no prior knowledge of the transition from blue to saffron. Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh, on the other hand, said the colour change was done after consultations with all stakeholders and players. Hockey India also claims that the change that has taken place was based on the suggestions and demands of the players.
According to a statement issued by the federation, "It was the players who said that since the synthetic pitches of hockey grounds in most countries are blue in colour, this colour matches the blue attire of the Indian players, due to which there is always a risk of miss-passing. According to the choice of teams from different countries for the World Cup, the jersey colours of those teams had already been allotted to them, so there were only two colours - yellow and saffron. That is why the choice of saffron colour with a religious aura was preferred. ’’
The above argument sounds right, but does not fit the criteria of conventions and facts. Players are always reluctant to speak out against their federation. But he has conveyed this indirectly to the media that he was surprised to see the new colour of the jerseys. Obviously, the federation did not think it appropriate to consult them as well. The claims that are being made about the counselling are being made only on the basis of the fact that the players or other staff have not yet opened their mouths. So, whatever truth or falsehood is to be told, it can be said without hesitation at this time. One can easily guess how far such an attitude is from the moral obligation.
Hockey India is yet to clarify whether the above change is only for the World Cup tournament or if the Indian hockey teams will wear saffron attire in the Asian Games (Nagoya-Japan; September 19-October 4). If saffron is the dominant colour for hockey there too, it will look completely inconsistent with the blue outfits of the rest of the Indian teams. Has Hockey India looked into this aspect of the situation? Critics of the BJP are of the view that colour change is part of the BJP's agenda of saffronisation of every institution. Bhola Nath Singh is a staunch Modi devotee. That's a strong reason to be skeptical.
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief and former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik said the change in dress was made possible by the BJP government in the state using pressure as the sponsor of the Indian team. In that state, all government buildings, government educational institutions and buses are being circulated at a rapid pace. Hockey India has also fallen under the same trap.
Though the Odisha government has strongly denied such allegations, the BJP's record does not condo the absence of such possibilities. The blue colour has been the symbol of Indian sports since the 1928 Olympic Games. It is by no means justified to abandon it prematurely. Hockey India should review its decision on the dress (jersey). Unnecessary controversy can spoil the focus of national teams. This should always be avoided.
