Brazilian rifle shooter Cassio Rippel has chaired the committee for the last five years and outlined the qualities needed.

"Basically we need some dedication, if you were to write only one quality, I believe they must be really dedicated, because inside the Athletes Committee for the last five years we have been really working hard to better represent the athletes," Rippel told insidethegames.

"We need to know what the athletes are thinking because its not about me as chair or we as ten, we must represent the interests of the majority and that is the way we want to keep this."

Rippel, a Pan American Games gold medallist in 2015, believes that the new President Luciano Rossi will be an advocate for increased influence from athletes.

"He is really receptive, he is really listening to us a lot, he is always willing to cooperate with us a lot he is always asking our opinions, we don’t have to enforce anything it is basically a relationship of cooperation," Rippel insisted.

At present, the chairman of the Athletes' Committee sits on the ISSF Executive Committee but Rippel is hoping this might increase to include a representative of each of the three shooting disciplines.

There are 29 candidates for the ten available positions and regulations stipulate that there must be representation from all the continental federations and an equal number of men and women.

Each of the 1,329 shooters taking part here can choose a maximum of six candidates. 

The remaining places on the committee are to be decided by the ISSF Executive Committee.

Rippel is standing for re-election and candidates include Georgian pistol shooter Nino Salukvadze, a competitor at every Olympic Games since Seoul 1988, where she won gold in the 25 metre pistol representing the Soviet Union.

Tokyo 10 metre air pistol gold medallist Javad Foroughi of Iran and Tokyo women's skeet champion Amber English is also standing for election.

Athletes’ Committee duties included "gathering information and opinions from athletes on their needs and problems with regard to the Olympic Games and major ISSF competitions."

They are also expected to consult athletes in "evaluation of the rules and regulations of shooting sports and subsequently provide feedback to the ISSF."

Voting remains open until August 24.