Table Tennis at the Olympics

Professional Table Tennis at the Olympics

The high speed, all powerhouse table tennis at the Olympics may probably be far compared to the friendly game of ping pong you play with the Smith’s, your neighbor. The quick volley of the ping pong balls and the overrated swift and nippy reflexes of the payers are the result of both training and talent that most amateur players would only dream for.

Table tennis at the Olympics is as breathtaking to watch as it is to play. In fact, table tennis currently has the highest number of participatory count, with more over 40 million players who play competitively and billions playing the sport recreationally. Whatever name it assumes, ping pong or table tennis, it is obvious that the sport has come along since its introduction in 1881, when it was still an after-dinner recreational alternative to lawn tennis for the royalty in England.

The first-ever table tennis tournament was held in London in 1927. From that time until 1939, the tourney was pre much dominated by players coming from the Central Europe. However, in mid-1950’s, Asia predominantly emerged as the breeding ground of table tennis champions. Countries like China and Japan have constantly been winning championship titles, though North Korea has also become a powerhouse recently.

Table tennis has subsequently been a part of the internationally-acclaimed Olympic Games in 1988, with events both for men and women in singles and doubles categories. The very fist Table Tennis at the Olympics debuted in Seoul, South Korea. Today, apart from it being a recreational activity, some people compete for huge sums of money, manipulate well-engineered rackets, and volley the ping pong ball at 160 kilometers per hour!

In table tennis at the Olympics, the events are divided in to two major categories, two players for the singles category and four players for doubles. In a starting game play, the player who serves the ball will get the commencing point. The rules are pretty much obtained from the lawn tennis. You should serve the ball on the opposite side of your opponent’s table.

Many people may know table tennis as a friendly game of ping pong in the basement, with mere plastic paddles that make distinctive noises when the ball is hit. That was a fun game, wasn’t it? But like those fun games that you play recreationally, table tennis at the Olympics has also been a real sport, a sport that can be well known in the international settings.