The most prominent name on the list is expected to be Yuko Arakida, a member of the Japanese volleyball team that won the Olympic gold medals at Montreal 1976.

The 60-year-old had served as sports director during Tokyo's successful bid.

She is also thenchairwoman of Olympic Council of Asia's Athletes' Committee.

Senior officials from Tokyo 2020 faced international criticism during last month's Winter Olympics in Sochi because its Organising Committee, led by former Japan Prime Minister Yoshirō Mori and former Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Toshiro Muto, is made up of former male politicians in their 60s and 70s and lacked female representatives or former athletes.

Tokyo 2020 responded by promising to appoint women and athletes to its Executive Board later this year.

Also tipped to be given a role is 43-year-old Mayumi Narita, a former swimmer who won a record 20 Paralympic medals, including 15 gold, between Atlanta 1996 and Athens 2004. 

She had also played a leading role in Tokyo's bid for 2020 and, along with Arakida, was part of the team that travelled to Buenos Aires last September to make the final presentation to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 

Arakida and Narita will are expected be joined by other women involved in politics and business as Tokyo 2020 tries to make the Executive Board more representative of Japanese society. 

Koji Murofushi (middle), pictued here at the Cauldron used to the Olympic Flame during the 1964 Olympics, is set for a leading role in Tokyo 2020 ©The Asahi Shimbun/Getty Images

There is also expected to be a leading position for Koji Murofushi, the Athens 2004 Olympic hammer champion.

Murofushi was sidelined during Tokyo's bid after he was controversially disqualified from the elections during London 2012 for a position on the IOC Athletes' Commission after being found guilty of breaking strict election rules having finished in the top two.

He took his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but his appeal was unsuccessful. 

Other names expected to be added to the Executive Board include Yasushi Akimoto, a record producer, lyricist and television writer, best known for creating and producing some of Japan's top idol groups, including Onyanko Club and the AKB48.

Akimoto, 55, had been a member of the Council with the Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee.

An official announcement is expected on Monday (March 17) following a meeting of the Tokyo 2020 Executive Board.