What Is the Origin of Table Tennis?

Table tennis, otherwise known as ping pong, is one of the most popular indoor sporting activities in the world. Table tennis has had the honor of helping thaw relations between the United States and China during the Cold War, and was introduced as an Olympic sport in 1988.

Origins

The general concept of table tennis originated in the United Kingdom. During the 1880s, Victorians lined up books as a net on a table and used cigar box lids to hit a ball of string back and forth to mimic the game of tennis.

Popularity

During the turn of the century, a variety of game manufacturers began producing actual table tennis sets. Hamley's of Regent Street became one of the first successful producers of the game, which featured rackets with parchment stretched around frames.

Ping Pong

The company J. Jacques & Son Ltd. trademarked a version of the game it entitled “Ping-Pong” in 1901. The rights were sold to the United States to a company named Parker Brothers.

Modernization

The modernization of the game came the same year. An English table tennis enthusiast named James Gibb introduced the celluloid ball to the game, finding it worked better than a ball of string.

Organization

As the popularity of the game continued, the Table Tennis Association was formed in the UK in 1921. This organization established concrete rules for the game and helped establish official world championships.

References

• Introduction to Table Tennis or Ping Pong
• Table Tennis History

Resources

• The History of Table Tennis