New Delhi: Legendary former goalkeeper P R Sreejesh has urged the Indian men's hockey team to put aside the ongoing jersey dispute and outside distractions, directing their focus instead towards breaking the nation's 50-year World Cup medal drought at next month's quadrennial tournament in the Netherlands and Belgium.

The double Olympic bronze medallist remarked that alterations to kit colours were far from unprecedented, pointing out that India fielded alternative uniforms during the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.

Whilst questioning the rationale that blue shirts compromise visibility on blue synthetic pitches, Sreejesh insisted that once the squad itself backed the choice, the discussion ought to cease.

"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 the Press Trust of India.

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Both the senior men's and women's national sides are set to don saffron strips as their primary uniform instead of the conventional blue during the World Cup commencing on August 15, a decision that has attracted criticism from several former skippers, including Viren Rasquinha, Dhanraj Pillay, Ajit Pal Singh, Vasudevan Baskaran, and Pargat Singh.

Nevertheless, Sreejesh stated he held no grievances regarding the shift in attire, though he found the justification concerning pitch visibility unconvincing.

"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 noted.

The veteran of 339 international caps—who subsequently guided the junior side to bronze at last year's Junior World Cup in Chennai—conceded that matching tones could marginally impede sightlines, yet stressed it had never previously presented a major obstacle despite blue turfs being standard 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 playing roster endorsed the alteration, external debate served little purpose.

"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 explained.

"If the players have approved this decision, the matter ends there, because ultimately it is the players who have to perform on the field."

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Addressing the political dimensions the debate has assumed, Sreejesh adopted a firm stance.

"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."

Simultaneously, the 38-year-old suggested that if a new home kit was to be adopted, the transition should have occurred sooner to allow adequate acclimatisation.

"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.

Regardless, Sreejesh expressed optimism that the peripheral commotion would fail to derail the team's 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 conclude its half-century wait for a World Cup podium finish, Sreejesh asserted that the squad holds a realistic path to the semi-finals should they top their group.

"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.

PTI