Belarus Expressed Readiness to Host Ice Hockey World Championship

Belarus is ready to host the World Ice Hockey Championship. All that remains is for the IIHF to approve a decision on the Division IV women's national team championship at its Fall Congress.

As a reminder, the International Ice Hockey Federation recently followed new IOC recommendations to allow Belarusian athletes to compete in all tournaments under national symbols without any additional testing. Zurich, Switzerland, has so far welcomed the men's U-18 team back under its auspices. The women's junior and national teams will also make their debut. This discipline has not been actively developed in Belarus, which is why the players have no ranking. The Belarusians will begin their journey in the world hockey family in the lowest-ranked division. Their opponents will be teams from Singapore, Iran, and India.

Andrei Bashko, Secretary-General of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation:

"We can hold the World Championship blindfolded, in terms of the level of organization. Our specialists meet the highest standards in hockey. The infrastructure—arenas, hotels, and transportation—is also ready. The decision on the venue will be made at the IIHF Fall Congress. Incidentally, some of our group members expressed a desire to hold the World Championship in Belarus."

The Division IV Women's World Championship will definitely take place in 2027. Its dates and location will also be announced at the IIHF Fall Congress. Women's hockey is rapidly developing globally. The championship is already divided into six tiers. Divisions I, II, and III are divided into two subgroups.