Jalandhar: Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh on Saturday said the controversy surrounding the change in the national team’s jersey colour just before this year’s World Cup was unwarranted, claiming that fed…

Jalandhar: Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh on Saturday said the controversy surrounding the change in the national team’s jersey colour just before this year’s World Cup was unwarranted, claiming that federation president Dilip Tirkey was well aware of the decision, which he later denied.Bhola Nath said the change in jersey colour from traditional blue to saffron was made on the advice of the players and team management, and the controversy could have been avoided with two important tournaments, the World Cup and the Asian Games, approaching.HI president Tirkey had said that the change in jersey colour was made without the knowledge or approval of the federation’s Executive Board, a claim that Bhola Nath denied.”Look, for us, the game is important, hockey is important. The biggest thing is that before the World Cup, before the Asian Games, whether it is me or anyone else it is a very open world. The one who loves hockey, it is our job not to disturb the players by raising all these issues. This could have been sorted out later,” Bhola Nath told PTI in an exclusive interview.”In the Asian Games, our main target was to qualify for the Olympics and we were successful in doing that. But that was not a good thing to to disturb the players before such an important tournaments. But that thing was out of my control.”All the players have mobile phones, Facebook, Instagram, they are all on social media and they watch everything on social media. Such things should not have happened. Whoever has done this, it was not good.”Asian Para Games gold medallist Neeraj Yadav dies by suicideBhola Nath said the decision to switch to saffron was taken after the players and team management were shown several designs and expressed a preference for the colour.”When the jersey was changed, the players and the team management were given 4-5 designs and they liked the orange colour. About the jersey colour change, as much as Dilip Tirkey knew, I also knew. And the next day he said that he didn’t know,” he said.However, shortly after the World Cup and ahead of the Asian Games, Tirkey had claimed that India would return to its traditional blue jersey as the primary kit for the continental event, with white as the second choice. But India continued to wear saffron as its primary colour and has also been sporting that kit in the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy in Punjab.Bhola Nath said he had urged the players to ignore the controversy and focus on their game.”During the World Cup, the same thing happened. Before going to the Asian Games, the same thing happened. I told the team that don’t pay attention to this. I am with you,” he said.”And the teams played well. We wo gold medals in both and women’s sections and qualified for the Los Angeles Olympics and that what matters.”The Indian hockey teams have largely worn blue jerseys since the country made its Olympic debut in 1928, except for a few isolated instances.

Source: Deccan Herald