Brazil's Calderano credits ITTF World Cup victory to hard work, mental resilience

Hugo Calderano of Brazil won the men's singles title at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Cup in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) earlier this month, after defeating a pair of home favorites who are also the top two players in the world rankings, Wang Chuqin and Lin Shidong.

The Brazilian later joined CGTN Sports Scene's Mike Fox for the latest edition of the "Talk Sports" exclusive interview series to discuss how he secured the historic victory, how table tennis strengthens China-Brazil ties, and his expectations for the upcoming ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals in Doha.

Calderano, 28, called the triumph in Macao the pinnacle of his career, after becoming the first Brazilian to win the men's singles title at the World Cup. He credited his success to hard work, mental resilience, and capitalizing at crucial moments.

"In a tournament between 48 of the world's best international players, the Brazilian became the first player from the Americas to reach the final and win the tournament by beating China's Lin Shidong, the World No 1, this Easter Sunday," Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wrote while extending his congratulations on social media. "Fantastic work by a top-five-in-the-world athlete who, for almost 15 years, has been supported by the federal government's athlete grant. Congratulations, Hugo Calderano. Immensely proud."

Calderano's success has also impressed many fans in China, the country whose players have dominated the sport for decades. The Brazilian believes that the gap between Chinese competitors and their international counterparts is narrowing.

In addition, Calderano has been learning Chinese, which he thinks helps enhance cultural understanding. He's also convinced that sports are contributing to strengthening ties between China and Brazil.

Looking ahead to the upcoming World Table Tennis Championships Finals in Doha, as well as the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, Calderano said the World Cup victory boosted his confidence and he is ready to compete for more titles.