India men's and women's hockey teams will return to their traditional blue jerseys at the 2026 Asian Games at Aichi-Nagoya in Japan. Hockey India has listed blue as its first choice, while saffron will be the secondary colour for the tournament.
The decision comes after India's hockey teams wore saffron as their primary colour at the recent FIH Hockey World Cup 2026. The change had attracted criticism from several former players and also led to disagreements within Hockey India.
Hockey India had earlier explained that the move to saffron was made for better visibility because the blue kit could blend with the blue playing surface. However, the federation has now opted for blue as the first-choice colour for the Asian Games.
Hockey India treasurer Shekar Manohar confirmed that the Indian Olympic Association had asked the federation to give its preferred kit colours. Hockey India chose blue first and saffron second. However, this does not mean saffron has been permanently removed from India's kits. The final Asian Games designs are also yet to be officially unveiled.
The return to blue will be welcomed by fans who have long associated the colour with Indian hockey. The men's team will also enter the Asian Games as the defending champions, while both teams will have a major target in Japan, with the Asian Games winners earning a direct qualification spot for the 2028 Olympics.
For now, though, one thing is clear - India's hockey teams are back in blue for the Asian Games.
