Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams wear saffron in Asian Games openers in Kakamilgahara
India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams played their opening Asian Games matches in saffron jerseys in Kakamilgahara, Japan, on Sunday, September 20, 2026, despite Hockey India’s pre-tournament statement that the side would revert to blue and white kits.
The saffron shirts had first appeared for both squads at last month’s World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands and provoked a major controversy within the federation. HI president Dilip Tirkey said the change “was implemented without the knowledge or approval of the federation's elected leadership and Executive Board,” and the dispute escalated into a turf war that left Tirkey at odds with HI secretary Bhola Nath Singh, who has been perceived as the figure behind the kit switch. Just before the Asian Games, Tirkey had announced a return to the traditional blue primary strip and white as the other option: "The Indian Olympic Association [IOA] had given us options regarding the team kit colours, and Hockey India selected blue as the first choice for the Indian team's kit. Orange will be the second choice," Tirkey had said during the send-off ceremony of the Asian Games-bound Indian contingent.
On Sunday in Kakamilgahara, the men’s team faced Indonesia wearing saffron, and the women’s team wore saffron against Uzbekistan in their respective opening matches of the Asian Games. Both matches took place on September 20, 2026.
Speaking on background, a Hockey India source said the secondary playing kits would not be all-blue and described the approved pairings for the tournament. "The two colours for the Indian teams' playing kits for the Asian Games 2026 were always saffron and the combination of white and sky blue, which was approved by the HI president himself. "As to why the president then said that India will wear all-blue at the Asian Games is something you need to ask the president himself," the HI source told PTI.
Hockey India has also cited a practical reason for altering the kit colour, saying that wearing blue on a blue playing surface posed visibility problems. That explanation was given alongside the internal dispute over who authorised the change.
The Indian hockey teams have largely worn blue jerseys since the country made its Olympic debut in 1928, except for a few isolated instances. This long-standing association with blue contrasted with the saffron shirts used at the recent World Cup and again in the Asian Games opening matches on September 20, 2026.