The event, which will take place at beaches in La Bocana and El Sunzal, was originally postponed until early May in 2021.

However, the International Surfing Association (ISA) said the new dates "will ensure optimal travel conditions for all the surfers and national teams in the collective best interests of health and safety".

In a statement, the ISA said it has been working "in close collaboration" with its partners in El Salvador and the World Surf League (WSL) in recent months as the global pandemic has continued to impact the world sporting calendar.

"The 2021 edition of the World Surfing Games is the last remaining piece of the Tokyo 2020 qualification process," the governing body said.

"There are five remaining slots for men to be earned and seven for women, which will go to the highest ranking eligible athletes in the event."

The World Surfing Games is an Olympic-style team event, where athletes compete under the flag of their nation.

Each country fields their top three men and top three women, with each accumulating points that count towards the overall team total.

ISA President Fernando Aguerre said: "We are looking forward to receiving the world's best national surfing teams to compete collectively for 'Team Gold' and individually for the coveted Tokyo 2020 qualification slots.

"As we all deal with the global pandemic and prepare for the phased return of sports around the world, we are working diligently with our partners to safely run this World Championship in El Salvador.

"The safety of the athletes and staff will always be our highest priority, and we will continue to actively monitor the latest information available to create a safe environment for the competition.

"This will be a truly historic moment for surfing – one more major milestones on the path to surfing's soon-to-come Olympic debut."

A total of 20 men and 20 women are due to take part in surfing at Tokyo 2020, with 15 men and 13 women already qualifying before the coronavirus pandemic created worldwide lockdowns.

The 15 male qualifiers are South Africa's Jordy Smith, Kolohe Andina and John John Florence of the United States, Kanoa Igarashi and Shun Murakami of Japan, Jeremy Flores and Michel Bourez of France, Brazil's Gabriel Medina and Italo Ferreira, Owen Wright and Julian Wilson of Australia, Ramzi Boukhiam of Morocco, New Zealand's Billy Stairmand, Frederico Morais of Portugal and Lucca Mesinas of Peru.

The female qualifiers are Australia's Sally Fitzgibbons and Stephanie Gilmore, France's Johanne Defay, Tatiana Weston-Webb and Silvana Lima of Brazil, Carrissa Moore and Caroline Marks of the US, Brisa Hennessey of Costa Rica, Shino Matsuda of Japan, Anat Lelior of Israel, Bianca Buitendag of South Africa, Ella Williams of New Zealand and Daniella Rosas of Peru.