International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons said women's para ice hockey requires more national teams to secure a spot on the Paralympic program.

The push for inclusion is a central part of the IPC's effort to achieve gender equity. Without a critical mass of competing nations, the sport cannot meet the official requirements for addition to the Games.

Speaking in Milan, Italy, following the 2026 Winter Paralympics, Parsons outlined the necessary steps for growth. He said the organization needs a minimum of eight national women’s para ice hockey teams [1] before the sport can be formally included.

"We need more countries to develop women’s para ice hockey if we want it on the Paralympic programme," Parsons said.

While the 2026 Winter Paralympics featured more than 600 athletes [2], women's sled hockey remained absent from the official program. The lack of a full women's division means the sport is not yet viable for a Paralympic tournament.

Parsons said the IPC is targeting a specific window for the sport's debut. He said the organization is looking at a timeline that could see women’s para ice hockey on the Paralympic schedule by the 2030 Games in France [3], provided enough national programs are established.

"The next step is to get women’s sled hockey into the Games, and that will require a critical mass of nations competing at a high level," Parsons said.

The IPC continues to encourage member nations to invest in women's sled hockey infrastructure to bridge the gap between current participation and the eight-team requirement [1].

“We need more countries to develop women’s para ice hockey if we want it on the Paralympic programme.”

The IPC's insistence on a 'critical mass' of eight national teams highlights the systemic barrier facing women's adaptive sports: a circular dependency where athletes need a high-profile tournament to attract funding, but the tournament requires existing funding and infrastructure to justify its inclusion. The 2030 target provides a concrete deadline for national governing bodies to develop programs or risk missing the next window for Paralympic integration.