Indian Hockey Team’s Blue Jerseys for Asian Games 2026

The Indian hockey team’s blue jerseys for the Asian Games 2026 will mark a return to the traditional colour after the men’s and women’s sides wore saffron and white at the recent World Cups. The decision follows criticism from hockey supporters and former players over the change. 

India has largely worn blue since making its Olympic debut in 1928. The familiar colour has remained closely associated with the national teams, making the Indian hockey teams’ blue jerseys for Asian Games 2026 a return to a long-standing tradition. 

The change comes after discussions within Hockey India over the colour combination for the upcoming continental competition. A senior federation official had proposed saffron as the primary colour and white as the secondary colour for both teams. 

Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey intervened during the discussions and asked that blue remain the primary colour, with saffron used as the secondary shade. The decision settled the jersey colours ahead of the 2026 Asian Games hockey campaign. 

The earlier saffron-and-white kits had generated criticism among sections of the hockey community. Former players and supporters questioned the departure from the traditional blue associated with India’s international hockey identity. 

The Indian hockey blue jersey has been a familiar sight at major international tournaments for decades. While there have been occasional departures from the colour, blue has remained the dominant shade for India’s national hockey teams. 

The decision also means the men’s and women’s teams will share the same primary colour at the Asian Games. The use of saffron as a secondary colour retains part of the design approach used in their recent World Cup kits. 

The 2026 Asian Games hockey tournament will provide the teams with another major international platform as they compete under the revised colour combination. The Asian Games are also an important competition in the continental hockey calendar. 

For supporters, the Indian hockey team’s blue jerseys for Asian Games 2026 represent more than a kit change. The return restores a visual identity that has been connected with Indian hockey since the country first appeared at the Olympics. 

The Indian hockey blue jersey will therefore return as the primary colour, with saffron moving into the secondary position following Turkey’s intervention.