- Indian hockey teams won Asian Games gold wearing saffron.
- Players selected saffron kit; officials now deem it lucky.
- Women defeated China 1-0; men beat Malaysia 5-1.
India Saffron Jersey Row: The colour that once triggered debate around India’s hockey teams has now been linked with a memorable double triumph. Both the Indian men’s and women’s sides wore saffron kits at the Asian Games, and both returned home with gold medals. India’s teams have traditionally been associated with blue, making the switch to orange a noticeable change.
The saffron jerseys had already attracted attention during the World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium, with the decision generating controversy before the teams continued wearing the same colours at the Asian Games.
But the results on the field have provided a powerful response to the discussion surrounding the kits.
Players Wanted The Orange Jersey
Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh revealed that the decision was strongly backed by the players themselves.
Speaking to IANS, he explained that the team had embraced the colour and now wants it to stay.
“The orange jersey was selected by the players themselves. They liked the colour, they wanted it, and now it will remain. I have found it lucky for our team. Both the men’s and women’s teams have won gold medals wearing it.”
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“It is a great answer to all the critics. Just before coming to the Asian Games, this team faced a lot of criticism, but they responded in the best possible way on the field,” he added.
Saffron Kits Accompany Double Gold
The Asian Games provided the perfect backdrop for the teams to silence doubts through their performances.
India’s women secured gold after defeating China 1-0 in the final, ending a long wait for the title.
The men’s team also completed a successful campaign by overcoming Malaysia 5-1 in the gold-medal match, successfully defending their Asian Games crown.
With both teams finishing on top of the podium in the same kit, the orange jersey has now become part of a particularly memorable chapter in Indian hockey.
What began as a controversial change has been followed by two gold-medal celebrations, giving the colour a very different significance for the teams and their supporters.
