Brasília, November 10, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Bulgaria, one of the 30 countries benefitted by the Ministry of Sports' recent donation of 360 rattle balls - the rattles help localize the ball's position -, recognized the significance of the donation in a message sent to Minister Agnelo Queiroz by the president of the Bulgarian Union of the Blind, Vasil Dolapchiev.

In his communication, Dolapchiev expresses deep gratitude for the gesture and says he is rooting for the Sports Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Sports and the International Federation of Sports for the Blind to continue to contribute to development, assuring a better future for the visually deficient.

Like the Bulgarian Union of the Blind, 29 other entities around the world were beneficiaries of the donation. Each received 12 rattle balls, to serve 3,600 court soccer players. The balls were made by prison inmates who participate in the Gaining Freedom program in factories that operate in penitenciaries in Curitiba (PR) and Feira de Santana (BA). The project is administered by the Ministry of Sports.

This information was provided by the press office of the Ministry of Sports. (DAS)