Playeasy Sport of the Week- Table Tennis
History
Table tennis, originally called Ping-Pong, was created in England in the early 20th century. After growing popularity in several countries, in 1926, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) was founded. Table tennis was officially named an Olympic sport in 1988 for men and women’s singles and doubles. Today, there are 226 member countries of the ITTF. In the US, table tennis can be played at the recreational, club, or collegiate levels, as well as the Olympic level.
The Game
In either singles or doubles, table tennis players use a wooden racket to hit a 40mm ball back and forth over a net. A game is won by being the first to earn 11 points, which are earned when your opponent cannot return the ball. The match is won by winning the best of typically five or seven games.
What Table Tennis Needs from Venues
Table Tennis events and competitions can be held in indoor venues including gyms, rec spaces, and sports venues where indoor sports like basketball or volleyball are played. Table tennis court sizes differ depending on the organization, event, and level. For large events like National Championships, many groups play on 40×20 courts with the table tennis table in the center. The venue is key, because cement and carpet are not suitable. Sport courts or wood floors are needed.
Table Tennis Organizations on Playeasy
- World Table Tennis
- National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA)
- To learn more about the NCTTA, check out their Spotlight on Playeasy here.
Fun Facts
- Table tennis is ranked the 3rd largest sport in participation globally, behind cricket and soccer.
- The Guinness Book of World Record’s longest table-tennis rally was 11 hours and 50 minutes.
- China is the winningest team in Olympic table tennis – more-so than any other country per Olympic sport.
To learn more, check out both table tennis organizations on Playeasy above. Be on the lookout for next week’s Sport of the Week feature on Thursday. In the meantime, keep on rallying!
