Shrug off jersey issue, focus on ending 50-year WC medal drought: Sreejesh

Hockey legend PR Sreejesh urged the Indian men's team to move past the jersey controversy and focus on ending India's 50-year World Cup medal drought. He backed the saffron kit change if approved by players and stressed keeping politics away from sports

New Delhi: The legendary PR Sreejesh has advised the Indian men’s hockey team to leave behind the unnecessary jersey controversy and off-field noises and focus on ending the country’s 50-year World Cup medal drought in next month’s quadrennial event in the Netherlands and Belgium.

The two-time Olympic bronze medallist said there was nothing unusual about changing jersey colours, noting that India had worn different kits at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.

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While he questioned the reasoning that blue jerseys hamper visibility on blue turfs, Sreejesh stressed that if the players had approved the decision, the debate should end there.

“To be honest, I didn’t initially understand what the issue was because the jersey colour had changed for the 2014 and 2018 World Cups as well. Even one of our training kits was orange. Why is there so much discussion before the World Cup this time? Is it because of the saffron colour or simply because the colour changed?” Sreejesh told PTI.

The Indian men and women teams will wear saffron jerseys instead of their traditional blue as the primary kit at the World Cup beginning on August 15, a move that has drawn criticism from several former captains, including Viren Rasquinha, Dhanraj Pillay, Ajit Pal Singh, Vasudevan Baskaran and Pargat Singh.

Sreejesh, however, said he had no objection regarding the change of jersey colour but found the explanation that blue jerseys affected visibility on blue turfs difficult to understand.

“If the controversy is about the colour change, then it should have happened in 2014 and 2018 too, when we wore yellow and light blue jerseys.

“I have no issue with changing the jersey colour, but the reason being cited is strange. If the colour is being changed due to visibility issues during play, then the blue jersey should never be worn again,” he said.

The former goalkeeper, who represented India in 339 international matches and later coached the junior team to a bronze medal at last year’s Junior World Cup in Chennai, acknowledged that identical colours could marginally affect visibility but said it had never been considered a major concern despite blue turfs being in use since the 2012 London Olympics.

“It is true that having the same colour makes visibility a bit difficult, but in the 14 years since the blue turf was introduced, the jersey colour has changed only twice. We have played in blue in almost every major tournament, including the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.” Sreejesh maintained that if the players had endorsed the decision, there was little reason for further debate.

“From what I have seen in the media, the colour change was made with the players consent. Hockey India must have obtained permission from the FIH for the saffron jersey. Since orange is also the colour of the Netherlands’ jersey, we can wear our alternate white jersey when playing against them,” he said.

“If the players have approved this decision, the matter ends there, because ultimately it is the players who have to perform on the field.” With the controversy taking political overtones, Sreejesh was categorical.

“I believe politics should be kept away from sports. The players are paramount. If they have no problem with it, then outsiders shouldn’t have an issue either.” At the same time, the 38-year-old felt that if the team was to adopt a new primary jersey, the transition should have been made earlier to allow the players to get used to it.

“I feel the players should have been given a chance to play in this jersey beforehand. We are currently used to playing in the blue jersey.

“Suppose I am on the field and Harmanpreet is out there, I would look for him in the blue jersey as I have always seen him in that colour. If the jersey colour had to be changed, it should have been done a bit earlier,” Sreejesh said.

Sreejesh, however, expressed confidence that the off-field issues would not distract the team in its campaign.

“Within the team, we always talked about staying away from outside noise. Players are aware of what is being said off the field, but fortunately there is still time. The team is now in Europe and they need to put these matters aside and focus entirely on the tournament.” Backing India to end its 50-year wait for a World Cup medal, Sreejesh said the team has a realistic chance of reaching the semifinals if it tops its pool.

“We have been waiting for so many years. This time, we have a golden opportunity. England is the only tough team in our pool. If we finish at the top, we might face Argentina, a team we have beaten before. The path to the semifinals looks easier.

“I just want to say that play your best hockey, enjoy the game to the fullest and end this 50-year wait. You won’t get an opportunity like this again. Forget the pressure of expectations, forget the off-field talk and secure a spot on the podium. 50 year is a long wait,” he concluded.