| If you watch the sports channels on TV, such as | | | | paddle. And Parker Brothers opted to go with the |
| ESPN, a lot, you're likely to catch a game of table | | | | ping pong name when they introduced the game |
| tennis every so often. Table tennis, often called | | | | to the United States. |
| ping pong, is played on a wooden table, with a | | | | With the commercial availability of the equipment, |
| plastic ball and paddles covered in rubber and a | | | | the game continued to grow in popularity and the |
| net dividing the playing surface. It is sometimes | | | | first tournament was held in 1902. In 1921 the |
| called the miniature version of tennis since the | | | | Table Tennis Association was founded in England |
| rules are so similar. | | | | and less than 10 years later, the first World |
| Table tennis is a fun and exciting sport and it is | | | | Championships also took place there. |
| easy to learn. A big advantage to taking up table | | | | Over time the sport spread to other parts of the |
| tennis is that you don't need to spend a lot of | | | | world. In the Far Eastern countries, such as China, |
| money on expensive equipment. The most | | | | it is called ping pong, while in other countries similar |
| expensive part is obviously the table. You can find | | | | terms in the native language are used. |
| inexpensive ping pong sets, consisting of the net, | | | | The 1950's rolled around and other innovations |
| 2 paddles and a number of balls, in almost any | | | | were made. As an example, a sponge layer was |
| department store in the toy or sporting goods | | | | added to the paddles over the rubber, making the |
| section. | | | | paddles lighter and easier for the players to use. |
| The game of table tennis was invented in England | | | | And finally, after being around for more than a |
| in the 1880's by rich Victorians looking for an | | | | century, table tennis was included as an Olympic |
| activity to be played indoors. When the game | | | | Sport in 1988. |
| was first played, books served as a net, a knot | | | | In the latter part of 2000, the international body |
| of string or a champagne cork was used as a ball | | | | governing the rules of table tennis introduced |
| and cigarette box lids were employed as paddles. | | | | more changes. They decided to increase the size |
| Apparently people enjoyed this newly invented | | | | of the plastic ball used in tournaments from |
| game with its make-shift equipment, since it | | | | 38mm to 40mm. This was an attempt to slow |
| continued to grow in popularity. | | | | the game down a little. They also made changes |
| Improvements were made to the equipment | | | | to the way the game was scored, now using a 11 |
| during the early 1900's. The balls were being made | | | | point system as opposed to the traditional 21 |
| from celluloid and the paddles consisted of a piece | | | | points, which makes each set fast and exciting |
| of rubber glued to a wooden handle. The word | | | | for the players and spectators. |
| ping pong originated because of the distinctive | | | | Enjoy your experiences with table tennis, and |
| sound the ball made when hit with the rubber | | | | remember to keep your eye on the ball. |