PNG captain Brenda Hoi Tau, left, has a chat with fellow batter Naoani Vare at the 2024 T20I Pacific Cup. Photo: Christina Persico/RNZ
Papua New Guinea's women's cricket team, the Lewas, have full one-day international (ODI) status for the next international cricket cycle from 2025 - 2029.
PNG retained its ODI status because of its Twenty20 International (T20I) ranking.
Cricket PNG chief executive Rihard Done said they are thrilled.
"Over the last 12 months, we have prioritised our Lewas, sending them away to Kenya and UAE in March 2024, and again in July 2024 to the Netherlands," he said in a statement.
"We gambled on those tours paying dividends in retaining our ODI status and that has now paid off.
"Itiss a great springboard to continue developing our Lewas and also aligns with our ambition to make the Olympics, either in 2028, or in our own backyard in Brisbane 2032."
Cricket returns to the Olympics for LA in 2028.
Thailand, Scotland, PNG and the Netherlands are the associate International Cricket Council (ICC) members retaining their ODI status, while the United Arab Emirates will be joining them based on T20I performances.
The UAE replaces the United States in the list of 16 teams with ODI status for the 2025-29 cycle.
PNG Lewas captain, Brenda Tau, said they are committed to being the best they can be.
"This gives us the certainty we need to continue to grow as a team on the global stage."
Teams with ODI status need to play a minimum of eight ODIs over a three-to-four-year period to gain or maintain their ODI rankings.
The women's one-day world cup will expand to 10 teams in 2029.
Meanwhile, PNG has dropped a place in its women's T20I ranking to 13th. Vanuatu is 32nd, Samoa 47th, Cook Islands 57th and Fiji 60th.
