By Tom Degun

Brazilian Paralympic Committee logoMarch 4 - The Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB) and the  Government's Ministry of Sports have sign an agreement to receive nearly $20 million (£13 million/€15 million) this year to help prepare their top athletes in the lead up to Rio 2016.


The funding will go to 16 sports that will appear at the Paralympics.

The 16 sports that will be allocated the funding will be athletics, boccia, cycling, fencing, football 5-a-side, football 7-a-side, goalball, power lifting, judo, swimming, rowing, sailing, shooting, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby.

At London 2012, Brazil finished seventh overall with 43 medals, 21 of them gold, and CPB President Andrew Parsons believes the huge funding boost could help the country break into the top five when they compete at home.

"This partnership with the Ministry of Sports is extremely important because it provides us with unprecedented conditions to develop the Brazilian Paralympic Movement and to work hard on our goal to finish in fifth place in the Rio 2016 Games," said Parsons.
 
DanielDiasBrazil’s biggest Paralympic stars are set to benefit for major new Government funding, including ten-time Paralympic swimming champion Daniel Dias

The 2013 funding agreement is bar far the largest ever signed between the CPB and the Ministry of Sports, dwarfing the 2012 agreement that was worth $4.36 million (£2.9 million/€3.35 million).

The agreement will enable Brazil's top disability athletes and teams to conduct a higher number of training sessions, organise international exchanges, participate in national and international competitions, purchase sports equipment and hire professionals.

Brazil already have a number of major disability stars following London 2012, including ten-time Paralympic swimming champion Daniel Dias and sprinter Alan Oliveira, who produced a sensational performance in the 200 metres T44 final at the Games to claim a gold medal ahead of Oscar Pistorius.

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