While countries with a clean record can send eight athletes to Tokyo 2020, Kazakhstan can send a maximum of two - one man and one woman - because its athletes have been caught cheating so often.

In the past 10 years, Kazakhstan weightlifters have tested positive 36 times at the Olympic Games, international championships and out of competition.

Ilya Ilyin was the most prominent name among the eight Kazakhs disqualified after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) re-tested samples from Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

They lost five gold medals, two of them won by Ilyin, plus a silver and a bronze, for testing positive retrospectively.

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) is confident it can successfully oppose Kazakhstan's appeal, but speaking to insidethegames here during IWF Executive Board meeting, Nuralinov claimed support is strong for the WFRK’s move last month. 

"I know that internally they’re supporting us and I’ve heard a lot of support," he said.

"I wouldn’t mention from whom exactly - I don’t want to mention names.

"But a lot of people support our intention because everybody understands that we are struggling not only for the Kazakh lifters.

"We are appealing on the rules which concern the entire sport."

Nuralinov also claimed that the WFRK knows that some Federations would have followed the same course of action, had it not been for time and financial constraints.

"For some, it was probably [too] late because there are certain deadlines when you can file the appeal," he said.

"Maybe some of the Federations face some financial problems and they didn’t apply."

Kazakhstan is one of nine nations serving a one-year suspension imposed by the IWF for multiple offences.

There is no nation in the world that as had more positives than Kazakhstan since 2008, the date which the IWF used a start point in assessing its members' doping record for the purposes of awarding quota places for Tokyo 2020.

Several other countries are restricted to reduced places at Tokyo 2020 because they have accrued 20 or more positives in the past 10 years, Russia and Azerbaijan being among them.

"We are not against the rules of the qualification system themselves, we are against the way it’s implemented," Nuralinov told insidethegames.

"If the rules are approved, we think that the effectiveness of them can be easily implemented, starting from the approval day, from today.

"But the way it’s done over 10 years of history definitely says that it is done with a purpose."

In a recent statement, the IWF claimed that the principle aim of its radical new system was "protecting clean sport" and pointed out that the qualifying process had been approved by the IOC.

Athletes will be tested far more often than in the past, as they must compete at least six times in the 18-month qualifying period that due to start on November 1.

Between Beijing 2008 and London 2012, Ilyin competed only twice at international events.

Maiya Maneza, also disqualified from both Olympic Games, including London 2012, where she had won the gold medal, competed five times in four years.

Nuralinov insisted the WFRK has maintained a good working relationship with the IWF, despite their decision to take their appeal to CAS. 

"Nobody is saying that us appealing to CAS will destroy the relationship," he said.

"We are still working with each other, but it's our right and the right of our clean athletes to appeal.

"We have the worst history in the past, but now the situation is changing.

"New management of the Federation came - they fully understand the current situation. 

"We’ve implemented a lot of new things in order to help clean sport. 

"Since 2016, we haven't had any positive cases at international level, but at the same time, quota reductions don't help us to develop further our clean sport programmes.

"Athletes are just quitting the sport because it’s not a secret to any of them that Olympic medals is the pinnacle of the sport."

The IWF Executive Board meeting here in Uzbekistan's capital is taking place today and tomorrow, and is due to be followed by the IWF Congress on Friday (July 6).