IIHF Asian Oceanic U18 Championships

	IIHF Asian Oceanic U18 Championship
Sport	Ice hockey
Founded	1984
Inaugural season	1984
No. of teams
Country(ies)	Asia and Oceania
Ceased	2002
Most championship(s)	Japan (10)
Related competitions	IIHF World U18 Championship

The IIHF Asian Oceanic U18 Championship was an annual event held by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) each at the start of every year for national under-18[ice hockey teams from Asia and Oceania. The Championships first held in 1984 and was played every year until 2002 where the competition ceased as teams were integrated into the World U18 Championships.

History[]

The inaugural IIHF Asian Oceania U18 Championship, known then as the IIHF Asian Oceanic Junior U18 Championships, was held in Kushiro and Tomakomai, Japan between March 23 to March 30, 1984. Four countries competed – Japan, China, South Korea and Australia, with Japan winning the tournament after being undefeated in their six games.^[1] Japan then went on to win the 1985 and 1986 tournament. In 1987 the competition was expanded to five teams with the addition of North Korea who won in their debut season.^[1]

In 1991 the first non-Asian or Oceanic team joined the competition. Mexico played only in the 1991 tournament and finished last after losing all four of their games.^[2] 1993 saw Kazakhstan join the competition, who went on to win after winning all four of their games. New Zealand was also scheduled to join for the 1993 tournament but instead withdrew.^[3] In 1997 Kazakhstan played in their last tournament with the following year the country pulling out to play in the IIHF European U18 Championships.^[4]

The following year New Zealand and Thailand made their debut in the tournament finishing fifth and sixth respectively, with Thailand's 92–0 loss to South Korea being the worst defeat in an IIHF event.^[5]^[6] In 1999 the Championship was expanded into two separate divisions with the winner of Division I gaining promotion to the World U18 Championships Pool B and the winner of Division II being promoted to Division I. 1999 also saw the debut of Chinese Taipei and the second non-Asian or Oceanic team, South Africa.^[5]

In 2000 Mongolia joined the competitions Division II tournament which New Zealand won to gain promotion to next years Division I and North Korea won the Division I tournament and gained promotion to the World U18 Championships Division I.^[7] The 2001 tournament was renamed the IIHF Asian Oceania U18 Championship, dropping the "junior" part from the name.^[8] South Korea won in the Division I tournament and was promoted to Division III of the World U18 Championships. Mongolia won the Division II tournament but no teams were promoted as the following year the Championships were shrunk back down to a single championship. The 2002 tournament was held in New Zealand and was the last IIHF Asian Oceania U18 Championship held with all competing teams offered a spot in the World U18 Championships Division III. China won the last tournament after winning all five of their games.^[9]

Results[]

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Host city (cities)	Host country
1984	Japan	China	South Korea	Kushiro and Tomakomai	Japan
1985	Japan	South Korea	Australia	Seoul	South Korea
1986	Japan	China	South Korea	Adelaide	Australia
1987	North Korea	China	Japan	Jilin	China
1988	China	Japan	South Korea	Bendigo	Australia
1989	Japan	South Korea	China	Hachinohe	Japan
1990	Japan	China	South Korea	Seoul	South Korea
1991	Japan	China	North Korea	Jilin	China
1992	Japan	North Korea	China	Harutori	Japan
1993	Kazakhstan	Japan	South Korea	Seoul	South Korea
1994	Kazakhstan	South Korea	Japan	Beijing	China
1995	Japan	Kazakhstan	China	Obihiro	Japan
1996	Kazakhstan	South Korea	Japan	Ust-Kamenogorsk	Kazakhstan
1997	Japan	Kazakhstan	South Korea	Seoul	South Korea
1998	South Korea	Japan	China	Harbin	China
1999	Japan	South Korea	China	Nikko	Japan
2000	North Korea	South Korea	China	Changchun City	China
2001	South Korea	China	Australia	Seoul	South Korea
2002	China	Australia	New Zealand	Auckland	New Zealand

Division II results[]

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Host city (cities)	Host country
1999	North Korea	South Africa	New Zealand	Pyongyang	North Korea
2000	New Zealand	Chinese Taipei	Thailand	Bangkok	Thailand
2001	Mongolia	Chinese Taipei	Thailand	Seoul	South Korea

Medal table[]

This table only includes medals won by the countries in the top division (known as Division I from 1999 to 2001). It exlcludes all medals won in the Division II tournaments.