Astana, Kazakhstan to host World Championships B-Pool in September

The 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships B-Pool will return to Astana, Kazakhstan from 6 to 11 September. The event will feature six national teams vying for two promotion slots to the A-Pool. 

Hosted by the Kazakhstan Para Hockey Federation at Terlan Arena, the tournament marks another Para ice hockey milestone for the country, which previously hosted the B-Pool two years ago. Participating nations include Italy, Japan, Sweden, Kazakhstan, France and Finland. 

The competition will follow a round-robin format, with teams battling for the top two spots to earn promotion to the A-Pool. The last-placed team will be relegated to the C-Pool for the following season.

The B-Pool Worlds will also determine two spots in the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games Qualification Tournament later this year. 

🏒✨ Unforgettable moments from the World Para Ice Hockey Championships B-pool in Skien!

🇳🇴 clinched 🥇 on home ice and got the royal seal of approval 👑

🇩🇪 secured a hard-fought 🥈 and a place on the A-pool

🇸🇪 Sweden beat Great Britain to finish 🥉

and much more 🫶🏻👇🏼🎥 pic.twitter.com/M4LoxlQOjJ

— Para Ice Hockey (@paraicehockey) June 11, 2024

Michelle Laflamme, World Para Ice Hockey Senior Manager, emphasized Kazakhstan’s ongoing role in growing the sport, setting an important example for future hosts:

“On behalf of the World Para Ice Hockey community, I would like to thank Kazakhstan for their continued leadership. By hosting the World Championships B-Pool once again, they are demonstrating their unwavering commitment to the advancement of the sport, while raising the bar for future host nations to follow."

Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, is the country’s second-largest city with over one million residents. It is home to several professional ice hockey teams, including Barys Astana, which forms the core of the Kazakh national squad competing at the 2025 IIHF World Championship.

This will be the 11th edition of the B-Pool Worlds and the fourth time it is held in Asia. Host nation Norway won last year’s edition in Skien, with Germany claiming silver and Sweden taking bronze.