Financed by funds provided by Panam Sports and Olympic Solidarity, the scheme is set to benefit athletes in athletics, karate, table tennis and golf.

The cost of flights, accommodation, food, hydration, transportation, vitamins and food supplements and physiotherapy are expected to be covered by the COE’s athlete support programme.

Racewalkers Daniel Pintado and Paola Pérez and long-distance runner Paola Bonilla are currently in Salinas in Ecuador as part of a 21-day training regime.

They are looking to adapt to the heat and humidity which they expect to experience in Japanese city Sapporo where the Olympic marathon and walking events are set to be held.

Fellow racewalker Mauricio Arteaga is also aiming to get used to the warmer climate by travelling to Zihuatanejo in Mexico which will act as his training base until March 6.

Triple jumper Liuba Zaldívar is due to extend her stay in Portoviejo for another month, while marathon runner Segundo Jami plans to train in Latacunga, Chota and La Concordia throughout March and April.

Discus thrower Juan Caicedo is expected to be in Europe from February to July in a bid to secure the Olympic qualifying mark of 66.00 metres.

Caicedo threw 69.60m last year but it did not count towards Tokyo 2020 as it was done when the qualification process was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Alberto Miño is preparing to compete in the upcoming World Table Tennis Middle East hub, which is set to see three tournaments take place from February 28 to March 17 in Qatari capital Doha.

The world number 77 also plans to compete in the Latin America Olympic qualification event scheduled to be held from April 13 to 17 in Rosario in Argentina.

Karate fighter Jacqueline Factos is poised to train in Odessa in Ukraine from February 25 to March 10 ahead of the Karate 1-Premier League in Istanbul in Turkey which is due to take place from March 12 to 14.

Golfer Daniela Darquea is looking to use COE’s funds to compete in three Ladies Professional Golf Association events in the United States over the next two months in a bid to boost her ranking to qualify for Tokyo 2020.

Ecuador will be seeking to win their first medal since Beijing 2008 when Jefferson Pérez clinched silver in the men’s 20 kilometre walk.

Pérez remains the only Ecuadorian athlete to have won an Olympic medal as he also claimed their first ever gold in the same event at Atlanta 1996.