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Overview

Table tennis is a very popular recreational and competitive team game played by either individuals (1 v 1) or pairs (2 v 2). The game requires a purpose built table (court) and net, with players aiming to hit the ball continuously over the net and into their opponent's side of the table to force their opponent(s) to either not return the ball back over the net or to land the ball off the table (out of bounds). It is widely acknowledged that table tennis is the most popular racket sport and the game can be so fast that a ball can travel as fast as 100 mph.

In all competitive games of table tennis, a net splits the court (table) in half and each player or doubles team defends their selected area. To successfully play a game the following must occur:

• the player must serve the ball over the net so that it lands on the opponent's side of the table
• once the serve has crossed the net (without hitting the net), the opposing player must allow the ball to bounce once before returning the ball back over the net
• to win a point, the attacking player must land the ball on the opposite side of the table that forces their opponent to either not return the ball back to their side of the table, land it out of bounds or hit the net.

History

The origins of table tennis are unclear. However, it is believed that it was first played in England in the late 19th century as an indoor alternative to tennis and badminton. Archives from the 1880s explain that it was played by the upper classes on their dining room tables and the players used books or cigar box lids as bats and golf balls or rounded champagne corks for balls.

From these recreational beginnings, the game's popularity spread to Central Europe and Japan, and later on to China and Korea.

Currently, it is estimated that approximately 300 million people play competitively and for fun every year - the second highest participation sport in the world, according to International Sports Federation figures.

The development of table tennis into the game we know today started in 1926, with the creation of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). Later that year, the ITTF organised the first World Championships in London and in 1929 it was won by Wimbledon champion, Fred Perry.

Despite acquiring official recognition in 1977 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), it was not until 1988 that the competitive game was first introduced to the Olympic Games.

Although the game has changed over the years, the basics have not. It is ITTF’s belief that the game should be a competition of human skill rather than new technologies.