Brasília, 3/11/2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The government's sports program for public school children, "Second Half" (Segundo Tempo), could double in size by the end of this year. Minister of Sports, Agnelo Queiroz, says he wants the program to reach one million students by the end of the year. At the moment, it reaches 520,000.

As the program is run jointly with the Ministry of Education, Queiroz explains, its expansion will mean more spending. Last year the Ministry of Education spent R$1.6 million on Second Half, and the Ministry of Sports R$44 million.

Under the program, children study half of the day and participate in sports activities the rest of the day. "We take advantage of the facilities in schools - cafeteria, bathrooms with showers and sports equipment," says Queiroz, "and there is great interest is expanding the program." (AB)