Brazil, also the world champions, will continue their preparations on homesoil in Niteroi between May 2 and 8 as they build up to a three game series with South American rivals Argentina, taking place in São Paulo on May 10, 12 and 13.

Brazil met and beat Argentina in the final of the first Paralympic Games in which five-a-side was included, at Athens eight years ago.

They also secured victory over China at Beijing 2008.

Both goalscorers in that final, Marcos Felipe (pictured above) and Ricardo Alves, have been selected for the training programme by coach Ramon Pereira de Souza.

Fabio Ribeiro Vasconcelos, the captain in Beijing, is among those called up, as are three other members – Damião Ramos, Severino da Silva and Jefferson da Conceição Gonçalves – from the squad four years ago.

The five-a-side team were boosted recently by the signing of an agreement with the Ministry of Sports to help fund their preparations for both London 2012 and the 2106 Paralympic Games, which will be in Rio de Janeiro.

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