The IIHF is adding another tier to their women's World Championship offerings building from the bottom up. The new Division IV World Championship will include Iran, India, Singapore, and the recently reinstated Belarus.
There will be new opportunities for women's hockey players across the globe at the 2027 World Championships, set to be held at their new time in November.
The IIHF continues to add nations and tournament's for women, this year adding a Division IV group for the women's World Championships which will include Iran, Belarus, India, and Singapore, with the potential for other nations to join the competition.
Iran touted their Association's growth on the ice as the Middle East's first nation to have a national team at all five levels of men's and women's competition. It includes a women's senior national team, and a women's U-18 national team.
"Iran has achieved a historic milestone..." the Iran Ice Hockey Association wrote in a translated statement on their website.
"This achievement is not merely about fielding five national teams. To participate in all World Championships, each country must meet the "Minimum Participation Standards" set by the IIHF — standards that demonstrate a country has a real and sustainable ice hockey structure."
"The significance of this achievement becomes clearer when considering that many countries with decades of ice hockey history have still failed to have representatives in all five events. However, Iran has managed to complete this journey in approximately five years, registering its name among the few countries with full participation across all World Championship categories."
India also called the opportunity to field a national team for the first time at any level historic. They'll field a women's and men's senior national team for the first time in 2027.
"A historic moment for Indian Ice Hockey," the Ice Hockey Association of India wrote in a translated statement on social media.
"This milestone reflects the growing strength of the sport in India, the commitment of our players and coaches, and the continued efforts to build a stronger pathway for ice hockey across the country. Three teams. One flag. One dream. The journey to the world stage begins."
While the ability to compete in the IIHF Division IV tournament is a historic first for India and Iran, it's a return to competition for Belarus.
Belarus was reinstated to IIHF competition after being banned alongside Russia following their unlawful attacks and invasion, an the ongoing occupation of Ukraine. It came after the IIHF Disciplinary Board annulled the IIHF's previous decision to continue the outright ban of Russia and Belarus from international competition due to safety concerns.
"We view the International Ice Hockey Federation's decision as an important and positive step for Belarusian hockey," Alexander Bogdanovich, Chairman of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation said in a translated statement.
"The return of the junior men's team, as well as the admission of both women's teams to the World Championships, is, first and foremost, recognition of the talent and hard work of our athletes, and a tribute to the enormous amount of work the Federation and the National Olympic Committee of Belarus have accomplished to expeditiously reintegrate our teams into the global sports community...We will do everything possible to return all Belarusian teams to the international arena as quickly as possible."
Singapore competed in the 2026 IIHF Division IIIB tournament in Estonia, finishing last. They're expected to be relegated. The exact field of teams has yet to be determined due to uncertaintly surrounding Russia's invovlement in 2027.