Martlew, who made his Paralympic debut at Rio 2016, is in the KL2/VL3 classification, and Hart is in the KL3 category - both within the limb deficiency impairment group.

Martlew, who had to have his left leg amputated after a rugby injury became badly infected, finished eighth in the KL3 200 metres event at Rio 2016.

In 2018 he was re-classified into the KL2 category - involving a more severe impairment level rating - and won world silver that year in the KL2 200m kayaking event, adding bronze in the same discipline at the following year’s World Championships.

Competing against able-bodied athletes earlier this year at the national championships, Martlew won K2 200m and K2 1000m bronze medals partnering Ben McCallum.

Hart, a surf lifesaver in his youth, lost his right leg in a road accident in 2019.

Last October, just three months after he first sat in a kayak, he made his competitive debut in Rotorua and won the Division 2 K1 500m A final as well as finishing second in the K1 200m A final.

Making his international debut at the recent International Canoe Federation Para Canoe World Cup in Hungary, he placed seventh in the KL3 200m final, thus qualifying a boat in the event for New Zealand at Tokyo 2020.

"It’s been a long time since I’ve raced internationally and I’m looking forward to what will be my second Paralympics," said Martlew.

Hart added: "Given that I took up the sport less than a year ago, it is a little surreal to think that I’ll be competing at the Tokyo Paralympics, but I’m enormously proud to be given the chance to compete for New Zealand and I hope to be able to do my absolute best in Tokyo."