Amstelveen, Aug. 21 -- The Indian men's and women's hockey teams face a stern test against the Netherlands to begin their respective second-stage campaigns at the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026, which is being held simultaneously for both men and women.

With the Netherlands crowned Olympic champions at Paris 2024 in both men's and women's hockey, the fixtures present the Indian teams with a formidable challenge as the tournament enters a decisive phase, according to Hockey India.

The Indian women's team will be the first to take on the Dutch, facing the tournament's co-hosts on August 21 at 9:30 pm IST in their opening Pool E encounter at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen.

India enter the second stage unbeaten, havin...