Tirkey orders detailed response from Hockey India DG over jersey colour change
New Delhi — Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey on Monday, August 08, 2026 directed Director General Cdr. R.K. Srivastava to provide a point-by-point reply to queries about the federation’s change of the national team’s jersey colour and said the earlier response was unsatisfactory. Tirkey added that “A response consisting only of general explanations or assertions without supporting documentary evidence will not enable the Executive Board to discharge its constitutional responsibilities.”
Tirkey had previously sought an explanation from Srivastava about the process and basis for the change after Srivastava said such operational decisions were not earlier brought before the Executive Board. The fresh mail, addressed to all Executive Board members and a copy of which is with The Hindu, was sent as the story was updated on August 08, 2026 (the item was published on August 03, 2026). In that communication Tirkey declared that “Hockey India does not own Indian hockey. We are trustees and custodians of a national sporting legacy.”
In his note Tirkey required Srivastava to answer each of the points raised in the DG’s original reply and to provide individual, detailed responses on every matter. The message emphasised the Executive Board’s composition, noting that “The Executive Board includes several distinguished former international players and Olympians who have represented India at the highest level. Their understanding of high performance comes from first-hand experience of the realities of international competition.”
Tirkey asked whether the federation had assessed “the potential impact of the change on athlete’s preparation, confidence, comfort, mental focus and competition readiness.” He also cited media attention on the issue immediately before the World Cup and requested clarification over whether the possible effect of that timing on “athlete’s focus, mental preparation and tournament readiness was assessed before the public announcement.”
The president sought documentary proof of the authority under which the jersey decision was taken, asking for “the specific authority, approval or delegation under which the decision to change the official jersey was taken,” along with a timeline of the change and “names, designations and roles of every person involved in the process” and copies of all internal correspondence relating to the decision.
Tirkey further demanded details on stakeholder consultation and product testing, requesting information on “the players and team staff consulted, the feedback and documentary evidence of the same and details of any testing conducted before the kit was officially introduced” as well as records relating to the “entire designing, manufacturing and delivery process.”
He sought to draw a line between the powers of elected bodies and administrators, citing Hockey India’s rules and writing: “The Hockey India Bye-Laws establish a governance structure under which the elected bodies of Hockey India are responsible for the governance, policy direction and oversight of the Federation. The Director General has an important executive and administrative role in managing the affairs of Hockey India and implementing approved decisions. However, administrative responsibility cannot be interpreted as replacing or overriding the authority of the elected governance bodies.”
Srivastava was directed to submit the detailed response “latest by Tuesday,” a deadline set by Tirkey; the change of the Indian team’s jersey colour to saffron has already prompted backlash from fans and former players who have questioned both the process and the timing of the decision without being consulted.