The British Paralympic Association (BPA) will use the city, capital of the state of Minas Gerais, to prepare its athletes in the build-up to the Games, due to take place between September 7 and 18 2016. 

It follows an deal signed last year for Britain's Olympic team to be based there before Rio 2016. 

The BPA's decision to also set-up a pre-Games training camp there follows major accessibility upgrades to the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), the state's top university, and Minas Tênis Clube, a state-of-the-art multi sports club, which will be the main centres for the athletes ahead of the Games.

The BPA's preparation camp will be supported by UK Sport with National Lottery funding.

Britain is aiming to at least consolidate its performance at London 2012 where they finished third overall on the medals table with a total of 120 medals, including 34 gold. 

The official Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today by BPA chief executive Tim Hollingsworth, the Mayor of Belo Horizonte, Marcio Lacerda, Minas Gerais State Governor, Alberto Pinto Coelho, President of Minas Tênis Clube, Luiz Gustavo Miranda Lage, and on behalf of the UFMG, Professor Jamie Arturo Ramirez.

Prince Harry inspected the facilities in Belo Horizonte with British Paralympic Association chief executive Tim Hollingsworth (centre) ©British Embassy

Prince Harry, currently touring Brazil, had earlier taken part in rugby, basketball and judo activities with local children and Ben Quilter, Britain's London 2012 Paralympic judo bronze medallist, at the Minas Tênis Clube in Belo Horizonte.

"I am delighted that the BPA has formed such a close partnership with the city of Belo Horizonte. London 2012 was a fantastic success and the Paralympic Games has moved on to a new level of excellence and excitement," said Prince Harry.

"The BPA is keen to build on this incredible legacy and I have no doubt that, through the partnerships announced today, the ParalympicsGB team will be best prepared for Rio 2016."

The signing took place alongside a Global Players seminar, organised by the British Consulate in Brazil, which brought together senior representatives from British and Brazilian businesses to share perceptions of both markets and explore new business opportunities. 

The event ran in conjunction with the build-up to England's FIFA World Cup match against Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte later in the day.

Prince Harry took part in a number of sports while in Belo Horizonte, including basketball and judo ©British Embassy

The MoU is  seen as an opportunity to strengthen both sporting and wider social understanding of disability in Minas Gerais and Belo Horizonte.

The agreement includes a commitment from all parties to work together to establish a mutually beneficial programme for exchanging cultural experiences and expertise while working towards a legacy with sporting, social, cultural and educational benefits, promoting wider integration and better social practices for disabled people.

"We are delighted to be in Belo Horizonte to sign these agreements that will see ParalympicsGB train and prepare here in the lead up to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games," said Hollingsworth.

"This is a very exciting time as we step up our preparation for what will be a fantastic festival of Paralympic sport in just over two years time.

"We believe that we have found some fantastic facilities for our needs and I would like to thank all our new partners here in Belo Horizonte for working so hard to accommodate our requirements.

"I would also like to thank UK Sport and The National Lottery for once again funding our camps and for their ongoing support of our preparation strategy.

"We can now continue our journey towards Rio 2016 with the knowledge that our athletes will have the best possible preparation ahead of the Games and that our presence here will help deliver a wider social legacy."

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