Rezaei revealed he also planned for Iran to participate in nine sports at the Games which have been rescheduled to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Should Iran take 50 athletes, it will be the nation’s smallest team since sending 40 to Sydney 2000.

Since then, Iran travelled with 89 athletes to Athens 2004, 72 to Beijing 2008, 79 to London 2012 and a record 110 to Rio 2016.

Iran finished 15th in the medal table in the Brazilian city after winning eight golds, nine silvers and seven bronzes.

But Rezaei, who achieved gold medals in sitting volleyball at Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996, now looks set to send a much smaller team to Tokyo as he revealed his plans at a webinar hosted by the Iranian National Paralympic Committee.

Iran is set to compete in athletics, archery, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, taekwondo, rowing, judo, shooting and powerlifting in the Japanese capital.

"We are preparing for the Paralympic Games and will participate in the warm-up tournaments but we would rather take part in the high-level events," said Rezaei in a report by the Tehran Times.

"Two male taekwondo practitioners have so far won their place in the Games but there is a chance we send a female to Tokyo.

"In shooting, three female shooters have booked their place so far.

"We will also send a female rower to the Games.

"In archery, four male and one female will partake at the competition and in judo we are going to send two practitioners to Tokyo but it could be increased to three.

"Six powerlifters as well as nine Para athletes will be sent to Tokyo.

"Two sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball teams consisting of 24 athletes will partake in the Games."

About 4,400 competitors from more than 160 countries were set to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics before it was delayed by a year.

Rezaei has previously urged the International Paralympic Committee to reduce the number of people allowed to attend the Games to ensure the safety of athletes.