# India hockey jersey row: Hockey India secretary says he knew as much as Dilip Tirkey
_Bholanath Singh defends the switch from blue to saffron jerseys ahead of the World Cup and Asian Games._

- Publisher: Apex Sports News (https://apexsportsnews.in)
- Canonical URL: https://apexsportsnews.in/news/india-hockey-jersey-row-hockey-india-secretary-says-he-knew-as-much-as-dilip
- Author: Rohit, Sports writer (https://apexsportsnews.in/author/rohit)
- Published: 2026-10-31T19:51:45.622Z
- Section: Hockey
- Topics: Asian Champions Trophy, Hockey India, India hockey, Dilip Tirkey, Bholanath Singh
## Summary

Hockey India secretary general Bholanath Singh said he was as informed as federation president Dilip Tirkey about the jersey colour change, calling the public dispute unnecessary before major tournaments.

## Key takeaways

- Bholanath Singh said players and team management picked orange from four to five designs
- Dilip Tirkey claimed the saffron jersey change was made without Executive Board knowledge or approval
- India won men's and women's gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou and qualified for Paris 2024
- The team continued wearing saffron at the Asian Champions Trophy in Punjab

## Article

Hockey India secretary general Bholanath Singh said he was as aware as federation president Dilip Tirkey about the change of India’s hockey jersey colour from blue to saffron, RevSportz reported. The controversy emerged on 27 July when India replaced its traditional blue primary kit with saffron ahead of the World Cup. Singh made the comments on the sidelines of the Asian Champions Trophy in Jalandhar.

## Dispute over decision-making

Singh said players and team management were shown four to five designs and opted for orange, according to RevSportz. He argued the public disagreement risked distracting players preparing for the World Cup and the Asian Games.

The Telegraph reported that Tirkey had claimed the change was made without the knowledge or approval of Hockey India’s Executive Board.

Tirkey initially defended the change in an interview with a media agency, saying it had followed recommendations from players and coaches and that kit colours had been changed in the past too.

However, he subsequently sent emails to Hockey India office-bearers and Executive Board members questioning the decision-making process and claiming that the change had been implemented without the knowledge or approval of the federation’s Executive Board.

## Focus on players

Singh said he had urged the players to ignore the controversy and focus on their game, telling them he was with them. “During the World Cup, the same thing happened,” he said. “Before going to the Asian Games, the same thing happened.

I told the team, ‘Don’t pay attention to this. ’” He said all the players have mobile phones, Facebook, Instagram, they are all on social media and they watch everything on social media. Distractions arise from such things. This should not have happened.

Whoever was responsible, it was not right.

## Results and kit status

India won gold in both the men’s and women’s hockey competitions at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, securing direct qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Singh cited those results as evidence that the players delivered despite the distractions.

Tirkey had indicated India would return to blue as its primary kit for the Asian Games, with white as the alternative, but the team continued to wear saffron, including at the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy in Punjab.

## What happens next

Singh said the jersey issue could have been sorted out later and that before the World Cup and the Asian Games it is the job of everyone who loves hockey not to disturb the players by raising such issues. The team continues to wear saffron at the Asian Champions Trophy in Punjab, where fans get free entry from October 27, according to The Telegraph.

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### Sources

- [RevSportz](https://revsportz.in/i-was-as-aware-as-dilip-tirkey-of-jersey-colour-change-hockey-india-secretary-general-bholanath-singh/)
- [news18.com](https://www.news18.com/sports/hockey/jersey-colour-controversy-was-unnecessary-claims-hockey-india-secretary-general-10406862.html)
- [Photo: MaxA-Matrix, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dilip_Tirkey_2023.jpg)
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