Brazil's 2025 Sporting Highlights: Calderano's Table Tennis Triumphs and Deaflympics Participation

In 2025, Brazilian athlete Hugo Calderano has reached new heights in table tennis, securing a gold medal at the Table Tennis World Cup and becoming the first non-European or Asian to reach the World Championship finals, earning silver. Alongside these achievements, Calderano inaugurated the Calderano TM club in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, offering high-quality facilities aimed at nurturing both beginners and elite players, thereby promoting table tennis throughout Brazil. Calderano reflected on his career evolution, attributing recent successes to renewed motivation and rigorous preparation following a challenging post-2024 Olympics period.

Simultaneously, Brazil is prominently represented at the 2025 Summer Deaflympics in Tokyo, which began on November 15, with 118 Brazilian athletes competing across 21 sports. Notably, 83 athletes are supported by the Bolsa Atleta program. The event counts around 6,000 participants globally and marks the centenary of the Surdolimpíadas, with Japan hosting the Summer Games for the first time. Fábio Araújo, national secretary of Paradesporto, highlighted Brazil's R$ 500,000 investment for the team and efforts to secure additional funding, underscoring the importance of supporting deaf athletes as a matter of citizenship and representation. The Deaflympics implement inclusive communication methods, such as visual cues and International Sign Language, to enable athlete participation.