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🇮🇳 India /Culture & Society

Naveen Patnaik slams ‘saffron’ shift in India’s national hockey team jersey

From Hindustan Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik criticized the reported change of the Indian hockey team's jersey from blue to saffron.
  • Patnaik alleged the move politicizes a national sports symbol and erases the country's sporting legacy.
  • He emphasized the blue jersey's emotional connection to India's sporting heritage and national pride.

Naveen Patnaik, president of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and former Chief Minister of Odisha, has voiced strong criticism regarding the reported shift in the Indian national hockey team's jersey color from blue to saffron. Patnaik alleges that this change is an attempt to politicize a national sporting symbol and diminish the country's rich sporting legacy.

The iconic shade of blue of the Indian hockey team is not just a colour but an emotion associated with the nation’s sporting heritage.

— Naveen PatnaikExpressing his emotional connection to the team's traditional jersey color.

In a statement on X, Patnaik expressed his deep anguish over the news, stating that the iconic blue jersey is more than just a color; it represents an emotion deeply intertwined with the nation's sporting heritage. He recalled India's past achievements in international hockey, including Olympic medals won while wearing the blue jersey, symbolizing national pride and identity, with the color itself derived from the Ashoka Chakra on the national flag.

Patnaik highlighted Odisha's significant association with Indian hockey, noting that the state was the first and only sponsor of the national men's and women's teams during a period when they struggled to secure corporate backing. He stated that every Odia felt proud of the state's contribution to national hockey, especially after the men's team won an Olympic medal after 41 years. Notably, the current president of Hockey India, Dilip Tirkey, is a leader from Patnaik's party and a former Rajya Sabha member.

The colour blue belongs to every Indian.

— Naveen PatnaikAsserting the universal significance of the blue jersey color.

The controversy centers on the reported replacement of the traditional blue jersey with a saffron one. Patnaik argues that the blue color, linked to the national flag's Ashoka Chakra, symbolizes unity and national pride, and belongs to all Indians. He believes changing this iconic color erases a significant part of the country's sporting history and emotional connection to the sport.

Every Odia across the globe was proud of the state’s gift to national hockey. After 41 long years, our men’s team won an Olympic medal.

— Naveen PatnaikHighlighting Odisha's contribution to Indian hockey and the significance of the Olympic medal win.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hindustan Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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