The New Zealand table tennis team is in Surat, India and ready for action at the 2015 Commonwealth Championships. However it appears the team is playing under one of the unsuccessful flag designs.

Internet confusion has been blamed for the Kiwi table tennis team being represented by one of the alternative flags already rejected by the public.

The five New Zealand's flag alternatives mooted until this week appeared to have befuddled officials at the sport's commonwealth championships, being played now in Surat, India, as to our correct current flag.

Instead of the Union Jack and the Southern Cross, organisers represented the Kiwi team with the Silver Fern (Red, White and Blue) designed by Kyle Lockwood.

Supplied The rejected Kyle Lockwood design was also printed on a banner flown from the rafters at the opening ceremony.

The mistaken flag wasn't even the winner of New Zealand's recent referendum, coming in second to Lockwood's similar black and blue silver fern design.

Team delegate Gary Williams said the organisers spotted the Silver Fern (Red, White and Blue) on the internet and assumed it was the correct version,

The design was emblazoned on the team board and printed on a banner hung with other countries' flags from the rafters during the opening ceremony, as captured in photographs.

Supplied The banner was taken from Kyle Lockwood's unsuccessful Silver Fern (Red, White and Blue) design.

READ MORE:

* New Zealand flag referendum final result - Kyle Lockwood's Silver Fern the winner

* Flag referendum: Black and blue silver fern design wins the first public vote

* How did the second most preferred first pick win the referendum?

Williams said the New Zealand delegation had nothing to do with the production of the flag, and first saw it when they arrived in India.

"The New Zealand squad were mystified to see the wrong flag flying, and on their parade placard, upon their initial arrival at the venue for the opening ceremony, and had no time in which to correct prior to photo-taking."

Williams said he had asked for the incorrect flag to be removed and replaced.

Initially there were suspicions the flying of the blue and red Silver Fern could just be one big prank linked to Kiwi satirical news hosts Jono and Ben.

Williams, also Table Tennis New Zealand's board chairman, was associated with the Jono and Ben Show.

Table Tennis New Zealand executive director John Lea, who described the mix-up as an embarrassment, said his organisation was "reluctant to draw official attention to these photographs". Airfares had been sponsored by First Sovereign Trust and the association "do not want to see their generous funding placed in a light that might draw derisive attention to them or us".

Even if the flag choice was a naive error by the tournament organisers in India, it would probably still gain mileage via satirical media, he said.

"Perhaps any publicity is good publicity - but it should not be seen as an official or political statement from Table Tennis New Zealand."