Questioning Hockey India’s decision to change the national hockey team’s jersey from its traditional blue to saffron, former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday alleged that the move was made under pressure from the BJP government in the state.The Odisha government is the official sponsor of the team.Patnaik said on X that the Odisha BJP government has shown an “obsession” with changing the colours of buildings, buses and even bridges.Also Read | ‘Players suggested saffron’: Hockey India defends change in jersey colour“I strongly condemn this attempt by BJP Odisha to politicise a national game like hockey. It has deeply hurt the sentiments of lakhs of sports lovers across the country and the pride with which Odisha has supported national hockey,” noted Patnaik.During his tenure as chief minister, Patnaik played a key role in supporting hockey in the country by announcing a Rs 140 crore sponsorship deal with Hockey India in February 2018 for five years, which was later extended. Three years later, the national men’s team ended a 41-year wait for an Olympic medal, while the women’s team recorded their best-ever Olympic finish.I am deeply anguished to know that the legendary colour of the Indian hockey team’s jersey has been changed to saffron. The iconic shade of blue of the Indian hockey team is not just a colour. It is an emotion associated with the nation’s sporting heritage.For decades, this… pic.twitter.com/4cgXOvpxdJ— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) July 30, 2026While the sponsorship was extended till 2033, the BJP government later extended it by another three years, till 2036.Odisha also hosted two successive Hockey World Cups in 2018 and 2023.Patnaik said that when the national hockey teams were struggling for sponsors, Odisha created history by becoming the first — and only — state to support the national teams.Story continues below this adAlso Read | Indian hockey ditches blue for saffron; players, top officials ‘not consulted’Every Odia across the globe was proud of the state’s gift to national hockey, he said.“Just because the government changed in Odisha, it should not change our national team colours. This is petty politics of the worst kind,” Patnaik said.Stating that he was deeply anguished by the decision to change the colour of the hockey jersey, Patnaik said the Indian team’s iconic shade of blue was not just a colour but an emotion.“Our blue jersey is to us what the iconic stripes are to Argentina and the yellow jersey is to Brazil. It is etched in our collective memory. Any change in this colour, is a crass attempt to erase our priceless sporting legacy. National symbols are meant to unite us, not divide,” said the former chief minister.Sujit Bisoyi is a Special Correspondent with the Indian Express and covers Odisha. His interests are in politics, policy and people’s stories. He tweets at @bisoyisujit87 ... Read More Tags:hockeyOdisha