Bid process launched for 2025 Women’s World Championships

World Para Ice Hockey has opened the bid application for the 2025 Women’s World Championships, which will be the first-ever edition of the event. 

World Para Ice Hockey is now seeking a host city for the tournament, which would include up to six teams competing over one week in round-robin matches followed by a playoff and medal round. In order to be eligible to field a national team at the event, a nation must have nine total athletes, including seven skaters and two goaltenders. 

This will be the next step in the development pathway for women’s Para ice hockey, with the ultimate goal of meeting the eligibility requirements to be added to the Paralympic Winter Games programme. 

“We are excited to continue growing the sport as we begin planning for a Women’s World Championships,” said World Para Ice Hockey Manage Michelle Laflamme. “We encourage nations who already have women’s programme’s to explore host city options, and those who are working to create programme’s to seek out new athletes and reach out to World Para Ice Hockey or other nations for development guidance.”

There has already been tremendous growth and steps toward this goal with two successful editions of the Para Ice Hockey Women’s World Challenge presented by Citi. The most recent edition of the event feature 67 women representing four teams, along with an all-women officiating crew. 

Three countries — Canada, Great Britain and USA — already have national teams and World Para Ice Hockey is encouraging other nations to field teams in order to have enough for the event. 

“Para ice hockey is a mixed-gender sport, so it is very difficult for female athletes to compete on the same stage as male athletes. To grow the sport, it is very important to hold a World Championships for women,” said Meika Fujiwara, who represented Japan at both editions of the Women’s World Challenge.

Other nations that have practicing players who competed at the Women’s World Challenge, include Czechia, France, Germany, Finland, Latvia, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Vietnam. 

World Para Ice Hockey aims to have another Women’s World Challenge in 2024 prior to a first-ever Women’s World Championships in 2025.

Interested bidders can find the 2025 Women's World Championships Bid Interest Form here.