Cuban Andy Pereira loses in table tennis at the Paris Olympics.

The Cuban delegation at the Paris Olympic Games saw another of its members lose on Sunday: Andy Pereira Diez, from table tennis, who was eliminated in his debut by Brazilian Hugo Calderano with a score of 4-0.

Despite his effort and experience, Andy was swept in the first round (of 64) of the singles tournament, with a score of 11-8, 11-7, 11-9, and 11-4 in favor of the Brazilian, a three-time Pan American champion and a strong favorite to advance to the round of 32.

The nearly 35-year-old Cuban lefty and the Carioca are old acquaintances.

They faced each other at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile 2023. In the individual category, Calderano won the final and relegated Andy to the silver medal, but in the doubles event, the Cuban, along with his compatriot Jorge Moisés Campos, managed to become champions by defeating Calderano and Vitor Ishiy.

"I tried and I think it was a better match than the one against Chile. I went out from the beginning to look for it, I didn't think about who the opponent was... but it's no coincidence that he is ranked number six in the world," he reported this Monday to the Cuban portal JIT.

"He is a player who constantly changes his tactics. Just when I thought I was adapting, he would come up with something new, surprising me and managing to take control of the match. This time the draw did not favor me. But I am happy with my performance..." he detailed.

For Andy, born in Havana, these are his third Olympics, having competed in London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016. In the first, he won a match, the only victory for a Cuban in the individual event in this type of Games. His record also includes the individual title in the Central American Games in San Salvador last year.

He is currently ranked 57th in the global ranking and is considered the main figure in the history of table tennis in Cuba.

"If tomorrow I decide to retire, the truth is that I will leave happy... if I do it tomorrow, I will always have more than I ever dreamed of. So I will always leave happy," he emphasized.