Olympic athletes took part in a debate with journalist Eliana Alves Cruz to launch the scheme, called the Programme to Prevent and Combat Racism in Sports.

Wrestler Aline Silva, taekwondo star Diogo Silva, swimmer Etiene Medeiros and badminton player Ygor Coelho were all involved with the discussion available to watch on Facebook and YouTube.

The programme looks to develop actions to reflect and discuss the theme of race relations, as well as looking at ways to overcome inequality created by racial discrimination.

On Monday (August 24), a new virtual event will give more details about the programme, which was developed by the Brazilian Olympic Institute – the COB's education arm.

"Racism and Sport: Prevention and Confrontation" will be the next debate and will be hosted by Djamila Ribeiro, a writer and master in political philosophy.

The athletes who will be in attendance include Olympian Iziane Marques, who represented the women's basketball team at the 2004 and 2016 Olympics and is a member of the COB Athletes' Commission.

"The COB strongly rejects any forms of discrimination, through its statutes and code of ethical conduct and also through its daily attitudes," said COB President Paulo Wanderley.

"Sport has a fundamental role in the fight against racism, and non-discrimination is one of the main precepts of the Olympic Movement, as provided for in the Olympic Charter.

"With the launch of the Programme to Prevent and Combat Racism in Sport, we are reaffirming our commitment to fight for the guarantee of rights and freedoms, not only in sport, but in the whole society."

The programme follows the success of the COB course called Prevention and Coping with Harassment and Abuse in Sports, which was attended by more than 900 athletes.