2003-01-17 

   LISBON, Jan. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Portugal's Sports Department Thursday received from the Portuguese Olympic Committee (COP) a project to support athletes with good chances to participate in the Beijing 2008 summer Olympics.

   The proposal has been drafted by COP, the National Sports Institute and the Sports Foundation.

   The cost of the project amounts, to the moment, to 500,000 euros, once the Committee has received, since October 2001, 136 candidacies of Portuguese athletes. Enditem