Claudio Cano

Today’s Doodle celebrates Japanese Brazilian table tennis player Claudio Kano. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Brazilian players of all time and helped popularize the sport.

Kano was born on December 18 in São Paulo, Brazil. At the age of 10, he started playing table tennis at Clube Showa, where the best local players hung out. The players were impressed by Kano’s skill and work ethic, and they recommended him to join the São Bernardo Club, one of the best table tennis teams in the country.

A few years later, Kano was playing against some of the most competitive players in the world. Fluent in English, Japanese and Spanish, Kano quickly made friends with professional players on the international circuit. After playing with the Olympic champions in Sweden for four years, Kano returned to Brazil as one of the country’s most talented players.

At just 17, Kano became the unofficial manager of Brazil’s national team and mentored younger players. Charisma and discipline over the years, Kano also became a role model for children all over Brazil. He won two gold medals in men’s doubles and men’s team table tennis at the 1983 Pan American Games, catapulting him to national hero status. Kano won 10 more medals, including five golds, at the Pan American Games.

Kano also competed in the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 1993 Barcelona Olympics, finishing in the top 20 at both games.
He was in his 30s competing in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics when he died in a tragic motorcycle accident. The table tennis star leaves behind a great legacy and thanks to his success, table tennis is now a celebrated sport in Brazil. The country’s top players still look to Kano as a source of inspiration.