In what represents the first instance where one of the two Executive Committee members in the race to succeed Bruno Grandi has publicly spoken out in opposition of their opponent, Guelzec, the head of the European Union of Gymnastics (UEG) warned Watanabe’s proposals are unworkable in the long run.

The 68-year-old Frenchman and the Japan Gymnastics Association (JGA) secretary general are bidding to become only the ninth President of the FIG since it was established in 1881.

Guelzec believes his manifesto, entitled The Gymnastics of Tomorrow and After Tomorrow, would be a better fit for the development of the FIG, which is preparing to enter a new era without the 82-year-old Grandi, elected President in Atlanta in 1996.

"I think there are two candidates with very different proposals," Guelzec told insidethegames here.

"Mine is more about sport and his is more about business and money.

"I think my project is better because it will help the youth development - I don’t think you can just give money away and expect it to work."

Watanabe declined to address the claims made by Guelzec when asked by insidethegames, insisting only that they were two candidates who had different ideas as to how to move the organisation forward.

Guelzec has vowed to replace the Presidential Commission, made up of the secretary general, three vice-presidents and the President, with a Board of Directors, while increasing the number of vice-presidents from three to either four or five.

The Frenchman is also targeting getting all five gymnastics disciplines on the Olympic programme.

Currently, only rhythmic, artistic and trampoline competitions are staged at the Olympics.

All five disciplines, including aerobic, were showcased simultaneously for the first time in the sport’s history at the inaugural European Games in Baku last June, while acrobatic gymnastics was recently added to the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

Improving the status of the organisation within the International Olympic Committee (IOC) - Grandi served as an IOC member from 2000 to 2004 but there is currently no FIG representation on the body - luring Tokyo 2020 sponsors to partner with the FIG and getting gymnastics to the number one spot on the list of global sports ahead of football are among Watanabe's key campaign pledges.

Early indications seem to suggest Watanabe - whose quadrennial plan is called Concept is Family - could start to build an insurmountable advantage over the coming days as the Member Federations within the FIG arrive here for the Congress.

The Japanese is largely credited with the overhaul in gymnastics in his country after they failed to earn medals at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000.

Japan has won gymnastics medals at every Olympics since the appointment of the 57-year-old at the JGA in 2001, including at Rio 2016, where global star Kōhei Uchimura anchored his nation to the gold medal in the men's team event before he successfully defended his individual all-around crown.

Both will be lobbying for votes in the build-up to the FIG's 81st Congress, due to officially get underway tomorrow.

Around 110 Member Federations are expected to participate in the vote, though the exact number has not yet been confirmed by the FIG due to ongoing arrivals of delegates.

Guelzec, President of the UEG since 2009, was cautiously confident when asked about his chances by insidethegames but admitted he is relying heavily on backing from his home Federation and that there is no guarantee the European support he might require will materialise.

"I am confident I can win if Europe shows solidarity in the vote as there are 49 members," he said. 

"I’m not sure before the elections but there is the possibility for negotiations.

"Europe will be show more solidarity than in Cancun four years ago, but I think not enough."

Watanabe remained coy over whether he could win, telling insidethegames that "anything can happen - it's an election".