The national day of Paralympic athletes was held after the Brazilian Congress approved the date earlier this year, with the celebration to be held annually on September 22.

It is particularly important with the Paralympic Flag (handover pictured top) now in Rio de Janeiro, which hosts the next Paralympic Games in 2016.

Brazil enjoyed a superb Paralympics this summer at London 2012 with 43 medals, 21 of them gold – making them seventh in the world.

"It never hurts to point out that, in its origin, the Brazilian Paralympic Movement emerged from the movement of struggle of disabled people as a means of asserting their potential," said Andrew Parsons, President of the CPB.

"To put Brazil as the seventh world power is not easy in any industry.

"In sport, a highly competitive environment by definition, more difficult still, and the Brazilian Paralympic athletes succeeded.

"The sport has an unquestionable transformative power.

"It is one of the most powerful tools for health promotion, education and social inclusion.

"In the case of disabled athletes, the sport has the power through the assertion of difference, to change the perception of people."

Parsons paid particular tribute to Alan Fonteles, who pulled off one of the shocks of the Games by beating South Africa's Oscar Pistorius in the T44 200 metres final.

Alan Fonteles celebrates after winning the London 2012 men's T44 200m

"Disability is one personal feature, among dozens of others, not more or less important," he explained.

"And Paralympic athletes are a perfect representation of this concept.

"Alan Fonteles for example, does not hide his amputation.

"With it, he became a great athlete and achieved a historic feat in London...Alan is amputated, yes, but he is also fast, a great athlete and a great man.

"Paralympic athletes also serve as positive role model for those people with disabilities that have not yet discovered their full potential."

Parsons also drew on the example of Daniel Dias, who became Brazil's most successful Paralympic athlete after winning a further six swimming gold medals at London 2012.

He explained that the 24-year-old swimmer was inspired by fellow Brazilian Clodoaldo Silva, who won six gold medals at the Athens 2004 Paralympics, and he hoped the rest of Brazil would be similarly inspired by Dias.

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