Portuguese delegation to compete during the Paralympic Games of Beijing announced on Friday that it's aim is to win at least 12 medals to come near the mark of 100 medals.
The Paralympic mission chief of Protugal Jorge Carvalho said that the minimum aim of the national team is to win the same amount of medals won in Athens 2004. Currently Portugal has won 81 medals in seven different Paralympic Games.
Portugal will compete with the largest number of women in its history, with 12 of a total from 35 sportsmen who will compete on seven sports.
It will the first time Portugal competes on sailing and rowing, which are also new inside the Paralympic program.
Four years ago the Portuguese Paralympic team was formed by 41 athletes, and from them only seven were women.
Bento Amaral and Luisa Silvano will represent Portugal on sailing class SKUD-18, while Filomena Franco will compete on rowing.
Also 13 Portuguese athletes will compete on athletics, nine on boccia, eight on swimming, one on equestrian and one on cycling.
The first time Portugal competed at Paralympic Games was on Heidelberg 1972 with wheel chairs volleyball men's team.
After a break of 12 years Portugal began again its participation at Paralympic Games on New York 1984, with 15 athletes in five sports, who won 15 medals (four gold, three silver and seven bronze).
In Seoul 1988 Portugal participated with 13 athletes in boccia and athletics and in total they won 15 medals.
The Portuguese Federation of Disabled People Sports (FPDD) was founded in 1988, which allowed the athletes to expand their participation to other sports.
During the 9th edition of the Paralympics, hold in Spain, Portugal participated with 28 athletes and they won nine medals (three gold, three silver and three bronze), with three European records on athletics.
In Atlanta 1996, Portugal won 14 medals (six gold, four silver and four bronze).
In Sydney 2000, Portugal won 15 medals with a delegation of 53 athletes, 43 of them made debut in Paralympics.
During Athens 2004, Portugal participated with 41 athletes and they won 12 medals (two gold, five silver and five bronze).
(Xinhua News Agency September 6, 2008)