Of the nine sports represented, athletics has two new inductees with those being Adhemar Ferreira da Silva, back-to-back Olympic triple jump champion at Helsinki 1952 and Melbourne 1956, and fourth-place high jumper at Tokyo 1964 Aída dos Santos.

Aurélio Miguel, an Olympic judo champion at Seoul 1988 and bronze medallist from Atlanta 1996, has been inducted alongside volleyball player Bernard Rajzman and two-time Olympic sailing bronze medallist Reinaldo Conrad.

Conrad won medals at Mexico City 1968 and Montreal 1976.

Sebastian Cuattrin, a sprint canoeist who won 11 medals at the Pan American Games, Tetsuo Okamoto, who won Brazil's first Olympic medal in swimming in 1952, and Wlamir Marques, a two-time world and Olympic basketball champion, have all been elected to the Hall of Fame too.

Finally, two coaches have been honoured and both are former athletes - equestrian's Nelson Passoa, who led the nation to bronze at Atlanta 1996 in the team jumping event and competed five times at the Olympics, and Mário Zagallo, who won bronze at the same Games for the men's football team.

Zagallo is already part of Brazil's sporting folklore, having won four World Cups - more than any other person in football.

After winning back-to-back titles in 1958 and 1962 as a player, he managed the winning team at the 1970 World Cup and followed that up as the assistant manager at the 1994 tournament, meaning that at the time he had been part of every Brazilian World Cup-winning side.

COB President Paulo Wanderley spoke highly of the inductees when he said: "The Hall of Fame is a COB initiative that aims to eternalise those who helped to build the Olympic history of Brazil, in addition to filling this gap in the recognition and appreciation of the country's sport idols.

"Our goal is to highlight the achievements and glories of the great Brazilian athletes and coaches.

"This year's edition of the Hall of Fame will have a selection of historical characters from our sport and will be marked by two aspects: the variety of sports contemplated (nine) and the longevity of the honourees' careers."

It is planned for new members to participate in ceremonies organised by COB, leaving their hand and feet in moulds that will be put on display at the Time Brasil Training Center in Rio de Janeiro.

Ferreira da Silva and Okamoto, who have both passed away, will be celebrated through posthumous tributes.