Hockey India strips DG R K Srivastava of powers over saffron jersey row
Hockey India has issued a show-cause notice to Director General R K Srivastava and revoked his powers over the saffron jersey controversy
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The Indian hockey team has played in blue jerseys for years, but the colour was suddenly changed to saffron during the Hockey World Cup, sparking a major controversy. The dispute has now taken a new turn, with Hockey India sending a show-cause notice to its Director General, Commander R K Srivastava, and revoking all his powers with immediate effect.
The notice, sent by Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey, levels a total of eight serious charges against Srivastava. He has been given four weeks to respond. If no reply is received within this period, further legal and disciplinary action will be taken on the basis of the existing record.
The most significant charge against Srivastava relates to changing the colour of the Indian hockey team's jersey. Before the traditional blue jersey was replaced with a saffron one, there was no discussion with either the president or the executive committee. Despite repeated requests, no official papers or approval linked to the decision were produced. The change in jersey colour had triggered a major uproar in Indian sporting circles.
Hockey India had begun replacing the long-standing blue jersey with a saffron one. The Indian team played matches in the saffron kit at the FIH World Cup held in the Netherlands and Belgium. The reason given for the change was that players in blue kits were difficult to spot on a blue playing surface. However, the change sparked a major controversy, and Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey openly opposed the decision.
Commander R K Srivastava had been clearly instructed not to travel outside India and to stay in the country to focus on preparations for the Hockey India League (HIL) and other work. Despite this, he ignored the president's instructions and travelled to the Netherlands and Belgium for the World Cup. He also faces several other charges, including banning a PR agency, mistreating players, a dispute involving head coach Craig Fulton, and holding unauthorised talks with external bodies such as the FIH and the AHF. Taken together, a total of eight serious charges have been recorded against R K Srivastava.
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