Hugo Calderano, Brazilian table tennis champion and 2025 World Cup winner, announced that he will not be able to attend the WTT US Smash event in Las Vegas due to U.S. visa problems.
The United States has updated its entry rules, introducing restrictions for those who have traveled to countries considered “sponsors of terrorism,” including Cuba. The rules, already in effect since 2015 for countries such as Iran, Syria, Iraq and North Korea, were extended in 2021 to Cuba as well, making travelers there ineligible for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) after that date.
Although Calderano also holds a Portuguese passport and has traveled to the U.S. in the past without issue, his trip to Cuba in 2023 for the Olympic qualifiers disqualified him from access through VWP.
He then tried to obtain an emergency visa, but the timing did not allow him to participate in the competition. Calderano expressed frustration at being excluded from one of the most important events of the season for bureaucratic reasons.
The US Smash is one of the main events of the WTT circuit, promoted by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) to increase the popularity and commercial visibility of the sport.
