'Step taken under BJP pressure': Ex-Odisha CM criticises hockey team's saffron jersey

The Indian men's and women's hockey teams will wear saffron jerseys instead of their traditional blue kits at next month's FIH World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium. The former Odisha chief minister criticised that change, saying 'Step taken under BJP pressure'.

The change replaces the sides' customary blue playing strip with a saffron-coloured kit for the global tournament scheduled for next month in the Netherlands and Belgium. Both the men's and women's national teams are affected by the switch announced ahead of the FIH World Cup. The alteration marks a departure from the long-established blue identity associated with Indian hockey.

The announcement that India will don saffron rather than blue at the World Cup has become the focal point of public comment. The former Odisha chief minister voiced opposition to the move in direct terms, encapsulated by the phrase 'Step taken under BJP pressure'. His remark frames the uniform decision in political terms.

Details in the available material focus on the change of colour and the criticism from the ex-Odisha CM; no additional explanations for the kit switch are provided in the referenced content. The two national teams are set to compete at the tournament venues in the Netherlands and Belgium while wearing the new saffron jerseys.

The shift from blue to saffron and the former chief minister's comment ensure the uniform change will be noticed as India heads into the FIH World Cup next month in the Netherlands and Belgium. The teams will appear in the saffron kits during the competition.