The National Olympic Committee of El Salvador has donated blankets collected by the country's Olympic team to newborn babies ©ESNOC

The National Olympic Committee of El Salvador (ESNOC) has donated blankets collected by the country's Olympic team to newborn babies.

A delegation from the governing body handed out the blankets at the María Isabel Rodríguez National Women’s Hospital in capital city San Salvador.

The idea is to "welcome the future generation" of potential Olympic athletes and to promote Olympic values from the very first moments of life.

Manuel Arrieta, the vice president of ESNOC, was in attendance at the hospital alongside project coordinator Ana Patricia Ruiz.

El Salvador has yet to win an Olympic medal and sent eight athletes to Rio 2016 ©Getty Images
El Salvador has yet to win an Olympic medal and sent eight athletes to Rio 2016 ©Getty Images

Executive director of ESNOC Rodrigo Meléndez was also present at the event, which was the third time blankets had been donated by the NOC.

El Salvador are still waiting for their first Olympic medal of any colour.

The Central American nation sent eight athletes to Rio 2016 in August, including pistol shooter Lilian Castro who served as flagbearer.

She was joined by race walkers Luis Lopez and Yesenia Miranda, judoka Juan Diego Turcios, laser sailor Enrique Arathoon, swimmers Marcelo Acosta and Rebeca Quinteros and weightlifter Julio Salamanca.