India, June 25 -- The Indian women's hockey team is likely to field the same core group of players for both the upcoming World Cup and the Asian Games, with the two marquee events scheduled barely 20 days apart, chief coach Sjoerd Marijne indicated on Wednesday. The World Cup, both men and women, will be hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to 30, while Asian Games, which is a qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, is scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.

While there are speculations that India might field two different men's teams for the events, Marijne said he is taking the World Cup to prepare his side for the more important Asian Games.

"We have thought about this process...