The Origin And Evolution Of Table Tennis
Mario Churchill


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.

About The Author: Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has
written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more
information on table tennis checkout
http://www.tabletennismaster.com


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