New Delhi, July 30 -- Hockey India has issued a statement regarding the changing of the colour of the jerseys of both the senior men's and women's teams of the country ahead of the FIH Men's and Women's Hockey World Cups after controversy erupted over the choice of saffron replacing blue.

Former Indian men's hockey team captain Viren Rasquinha raised the issue on social media, calling the move 'embarrassing' and saying that the team has always been associated with the colour blue.

Raquinha wrote on X, "I must say that @TheHockeyIndia has done many good things for (hockey emotes). But this is embarrassing. The legacy & identity of the Indian team has always been BLUE. I wore the Blue jersey with pride for many years. Fans want to see our...