The Origin And Evolution Of Table Tennis

Much like its bigger version, table tennis is played with the same basic rules as Tennis. If you are a sports buff and has devoted quite a number of hours in front of the boob tube watching sports channels, its highly likely that you have watched a couple of games of table tennis.

Played in a wooden table, usually green like lawn tennis, table tennis or ping pong as what some people refer to it based on the sound the ball makes as it bounces, utilizes wooden paddles with rubber surfaces and a plastic ball instead of the big rackets and the furry green ball used in Tennis.


Table tennis has become very popular, not only because it is easy to learn how to play it and it is extremely fun, but also because it can easily be played even with just enough space to handle the table. It doesn't require big courts like tennis and most garages can be setup with a table for ping pong.

Also, you don't need to buy very fancy and expensive equipment just to have a table tennis set. It is only the table that requires some high cost but compared to other sports, the cost is not much. Then, all you would need is the paddle, a set of balls and you're good to go.

The History of Table Tennis

Table Tennis first started out in the 1880's when affluent Victorians in England where looking for a sport that they can play indoors. Taking the cue from the popular Tennis, this young men utilized a table and used make shift paddles from the box lids of cigarette boxes and an improvised ball made out of strings or a cork.

Enter the 1900's. With the game's popularity growing, manufacturers of table tennis equipment have made vast improvements out of the crude ones first used and started the manufacture of these new equipments for sale. The paddles known made use of custom shaped wood and rubbers where attached to make the game slower. The balls were known manufactured from celluloid making them rounder and bounce better.

With the commerciality of the game and its equipments, more and more people where able to discover and enjoy the game. In 1902, table tennis enthusiasts were able to compete in the first ever tournament, and by 1921, the Table Tennis Association was inaugurated in England and barely ten years after the first ever World Championships was played in England as well.

With the competitions, the commercialization and the legitimacy brought about by the establishment of an official organization, table tennis has become a worldwide phenomenon that is being enjoyed by all countries.

With many innovations and developments in the equipment used and the affordability of the game, many homes have their own table tennis sets were many people can enjoy the game. Plus, with its surging popularity and the great number of people playing table tennis, the game was recognized by the Olympic committee and was soon included in the world wide competition in 1988.

Over the years, many rules have been added, changed and removed to make the game more exciting. This changes has made table tennis very competitive and a favorite for many people today and probably in the years to come as well.