Despite being one of the world's leading volleyball nations, having dominated in Beijing in 2008 with men's silver and women's gold, their sitting volleyball squad is yet to reach such lofty heights.

Ribeiro, who claimed gold at the Barcelona 1992 indoor volleyball tournament, is hoping to improve on the 2008 performance at the Beijing Paralympics, where Brazil's men lost to China in the fifth and sixth placed match.

"In Beijing 2008, the men's team reached fifth place having lost to China in front of 8,000 people," said Ribeiro.

"The level between third and eighth places is quite equal, only Iran and Bosnia Herzegovina are one step ahead."

Volleyball is the second most popular sport in Brazil behind football, and their men's and women's teams are first and second in the world, but when it comes to the Paralympics, it is Iran who have dominated the sitting volleyball scene in recent decades, claiming five gold medals in their last six Games.

Ribeiro, who spent five years between 2004 and 2009 coaching the sitting volleyball squad, says that they are in it to win it next year in London, with the long term vision of preparing for a successful summer at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Games.

"For London 2012 the objectives are having a female team debuting in the Games and to win the first medal in the men's team," he said.

"For Rio [in 2016] we want nothing but gold."

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