FLASH
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Brazilian Hugo Calderano, who won the gold medal at the 2025 World Table Tennis Cup, said he will miss the major WTT US tournament in Las Vegas this month due to delays in obtaining a visa to the United States.
Calderano, the silver medalist at the 2025 world championships, who also holds a Portuguese passport, said that US authorities had informed him that he was no longer eligible for visa waivers for European Union countries, due to a trip to Cuba in 2023 to compete in international and qualifying competitions for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 29-year-old said he then tried to get an emergency visa, but ran out of time as the event was taking place on Thursday.
"I followed the same protocol as on all my previous trips to the United States using my Portuguese passport," Calderano said in a statement on his website late Thursday.
"When I was informed of the situation, I mobilized my entire team to get an emergency visa, but unfortunately, there was not enough time," he adds.
The Brazilian star added: "It's disappointing to be left out of one of the most important competitions of the season for reasons beyond my control, especially after such positive results."
The US Smash event is one of the main events of the year for the WTT, a body created by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) to organize commercial competitions to broaden the appeal of the sport, with higher prizes.
The United States will also host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer Olympics, with athletes from more than 200 countries participating.
Reuters has contacted the US State Department for comment.
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