The participation in the Beijing Paralympics Games will help Angola to improve its performance at the 2012 London Games, a senior Angolan sports official said on Monday.

Leonel da Rocha Pinto, chairman of the Angolan Paralympics Committee (CPA), said that the preparation for the Beijing Games was insufficient which are no more compatible with the sport of high performance, naming the lack of a medical team as the most relevant aspect.

"The athletes had to work hard to achieve a positive participation which the country is proud of today," he said, adding that he believed the conquests would be better if training conditions were better.

The sports official said the three silver medals won by Angolan Jose Sayovo in 100m, 200m and 400m races "taste like gold medals" because competition at the Beijing Paralympics was tougher than that at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Sayovo obtained three gold medals in the three events.

(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2008)