Sreejesh Urges Team to Prioritise Performance Over Jersey Controversy

Indian hockey legend P.R. Sreejesh has urged the national men's team to ignore the controversy surrounding the change in the team's primary jersey colour and focus on ending India's 50-year wait for a Hockey World Cup medal. Speaking ahead of the tournament, which begins on August 15 in the Netherlands and Belgium, the former goalkeeper said discussions over the saffron jersey should not distract the players from their preparations. He maintained that the team's performances on the field should remain the priority rather than off-field debates.

The controversy emerged after Hockey India announced that both the men's and women's teams would wear saffron jerseys as their primary kit instead of the traditional blue. The decision drew criticism from several former India captains, including Viren Rasquinha, Dhanraj Pillay, Ajit Pal Singh, Vasudevan Baskaran and Pargat Singh. While Sreejesh said he had no objection to the colour change itself, he questioned the explanation that blue jerseys affected player visibility on blue hockey turfs.

Sreejesh pointed out that India had previously worn different coloured jerseys during the 2014 and 2018 Hockey World Cups without generating similar debate. He also noted that one of the team's training kits had been orange in the past. "Is it because of the saffron colour or simply because the colour changed?" he asked, adding that if visibility on blue turfs was genuinely a concern, then the team should permanently stop wearing blue jerseys. According to him, although identical colours may marginally affect visibility, the issue had never been considered significant since blue turfs were introduced before the 2012 London Olympics.

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The former India goalkeeper said that if the players had approved the decision, there was little reason for the controversy to continue. He added that Hockey India would have secured the necessary approval from the International Hockey Federation (FIH) before introducing the new jersey. Sreejesh also observed that India could wear its alternate white kit whenever it faces teams such as the Netherlands, whose traditional jersey colour is orange.

At the same time, Sreejesh felt that if a change in the primary jersey was planned, it should have been introduced earlier to allow players sufficient time to adapt. Having spent years identifying teammates by their familiar blue shirts during matches, he said adjusting to a different colour just before a major tournament could take some getting used to. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that the players would quickly adapt and not allow the issue to affect their performances.

Sreejesh also emphasised that politics should remain separate from sport and called on everyone to support the players as they pursue World Cup success. Backing India to end its five-decade medal drought, he said the team has a realistic opportunity to reach the semifinals if it tops its group, with England expected to be its toughest opponent in the pool stage. Urging the players to ignore external noise, he encouraged them to enjoy their hockey, remain focused on the tournament and seize what he described as a golden opportunity to bring home a long-awaited World Cup medal.

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