The 2026 IIHF U20 World Championship Division III, Group A recently wrapped up at the Winter Sports Palace in Sofia, Bulgaria (January 19–25, 2026). It was a high-scoring tournament that saw a dominant performance by the youngest roster in the field.
The Champions: Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei finished the tournament undefeated to secure the gold medal and earn promotion to Division II, Group B for 2027. They showcased an incredible offensive engine, scoring 42 goals across just five games.
The turning point was a thrilling 5-4 victory over Türkiye on the penultimate day, where Yu-Chuan Chen scored the game-winner with only 24 seconds remaining. They capped off their perfect run with a shootout win against Belgium on the final day.
Chinese Taipei earn promotion to Division II, Group B for 2027
Final Standings
| Rank | Team | Record (W-OTW-OTL-L) | Points | Status |
| 1 | Chinese Taipei | 4–1–0–0 | 14 | Promoted to Div II B |
| 2 | Bulgaria (H) | 3–1–0–1 | 11 | Silver Medal |
| 3 | Belgium | 2–0–3–0 | 9 | Bronze Medal |
| 4 | Türkiye | 2–1–0–2 | 8 | |
| 5 | Thailand | 1–0–0–4 | 3 | |
| 6 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 0–0–0–5 | 0 | Relegated to Div III B |
Individual Award Winners
The IIHF directorate recognized the following players for their outstanding performances:
Top Scorer: Emin Inandi (Türkiye) – Finished with 16 points (10 goals, 6 assists).
Best Forward: Emin Inandi (Türkiye) – Also led the tournament in goals.
Best Defender: Alexander Stamenov (Bulgaria) – A key part of the host nation’s silver-medal run.
Best Goalkeeper: Georgi Milanov (Bulgaria) – Recorded two shutouts and a .900 save percentage.
Tournament Highlights
The Hosts’ Surge: Bulgaria made the most of their home-ice advantage, winning a memorable 6-1 “neighbourly” derby against Türkiye and pushing for gold until their loss to Chinese Taipei.
Dominant Debut: Chinese Taipei opened their campaign with a massive 15-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, setting the tone for the rest of the week.
Belgium’s Close Calls: Despite finishing third, Belgium was remarkably competitive, losing two of their matches in overtime/shootouts (to Bulgaria and Chinese Taipei).
