The 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships for Division III concluded this past weekend, featuring a return to dominance for Türkiye and a historic, record-shattering performance by Uzbekistan.
Türkiye and Uzbekistan as they secure promotion and dominate the 2026 IIHF Division III stage.
Division III, Group A (Cape Town, South Africa)
Türkiye secured an immediate return to Division II by sweeping the tournament in Cape Town. Their promotion was built on a foundation of elite goaltending and a highly efficient power play that converted at over 30%.
Standings & Results
| Rank | Team | Record (W-OTW-OTL-L) | Points | Status |
| 1 | Türkiye | 5–0–0–0 | 15 | Promoted to Div II B |
| 2 | Mexico | 2–1–1–1 | 9 | Silver |
| 3 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2–1–0–2 | 8 | Bronze |
| 4 | South Africa (H) | 2–0–1–2 | 7 | |
| 5 | Thailand | 1–1–0–3 | 5 | |
| 6 | Turkmenistan | 0–0–1–4 | 1 | Relegated to Div III B |
Tournament Highlights
The Decisive Path: Türkiye’s toughest test came against Bosnia and Herzegovina, a narrow 2–1 victory. They sealed the gold on the final day by doubling up Mexico 6–3.
Offensive Leaders: Mexico’s Hector Majul led the tournament in scoring with 13 points (6G, 7A), earning the Directorate Award for Best Forward.
Stifling Defense: Turkish goaltender Sava Voronov was named Best Goalkeeper, posting a .928 SV% and a 2.00 GAA across five starts.
Division III, Group B (Hong Kong)
Uzbekistan delivered one of the most statistically dominant performances in IIHF history, scoring a staggering 97 goals in just five games to earn promotion to Group A.
Standings & Results
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Status |
| 1 | Uzbekistan | 5–0–0–0 | 15 | Promoted to Div III A |
| 2 | DPR Korea | 4–0–0–1 | 12 | Silver |
| 3 | Hong Kong (H) | 3–0–0–2 | 9 | Bronze |
| 4 | Luxembourg | 2–0–0–3 | 6 | |
| 5 | Mongolia | 1–0–0–4 | 3 | |
| 6 | Philippines | 0–0–0–5 | 0 |
The Kravchenko Show
The headline of the tournament was the play of Uzbekistan’s Vadim Kravchenko. He set a blistering pace with 19 goals and 35 points in five games, including:
A record-setting opening against Mongolia (26–1) and the Philippines (28–3).
A hat trick in the first period of the gold-medal-deciding game against Hong Kong (final score 9–4).
Individual Awards
Best Forward: Vadim Kravchenko (Uzbekistan)
Best Defender: Batu Batorovich (Mongolia)
Best Goalkeeper: Long Kiu Rexton Chui (Hong Kong)
Looking Ahead to 2027
Türkiye will compete in Division II, Group B.
Uzbekistan moves up to Division III, Group A.
Turkmenistan drops down to Division III, Group B.
