Sports Ministry to await Hockey India reconciliation before deciding on intervention

On September 15, 2026 the Sports Ministry said it will wait for the warring factions within Hockey India to settle their dispute over a pre-World Cup jersey colour change before determining whether ministry intervention is necessary.

The dispute centres on Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey and secretary general Bhola Nath Singh after the body changed the national teams' jersey colour from blue to saffron prior to the recent World Cup; Tirkey has said he was not consulted and has issued a show cause notice to HI Director General, Cdr R K Srivastava, who is perceived to be close to Singh.

Singh has called an Emergent Board Meeting and says he received directions from Tirkey to convene it, but Tirkey has said he has not approved any such meeting and will not do so until he receives a satisfactory response from Srivastava on the jersey issue and other matters.

Ministry sources said developments in Hockey India are being closely tracked, and that the Sports Minister had met the HI leadership after the World Cup. "The Minister had touched upon all this in that meeting too and developments are being monitored," said the source.

At the recent World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands the men's team finished eighth while the women's team finished fifth.

Singh has scheduled the Emergent Board Meeting for September 18; ministry officials reiterated their stance on intervention, saying, "Let them resolve it amicably, mutually. Whether ministry intervention is needed would be decided once it is clear that the situation is not getting resolved," the source said.