History of Table Tennis

Study Notes

Table tennis originated from lawn tennis being adapted as an indoor game during winter in the 1880s.
Early table tennis equipment included a champagne cork as a ball, cigar boxes as bats, and books for the net.

"Ping-Pong" was coined by J. Jaques and Son, an English firm, at the end of the 1800s.
The name was trademarked in the United States by Parker Brothers.

Tournaments with over 300 participants were held as early as 1901.
The Ping-Pong Association was formed in 1901 and renamed The Table Tennis Association in 1922.
The game spread to Japan, Vienna, and Budapest in the early 1900s.
In Britain, table tennis expanded beyond London, with leagues forming in provincial towns.
The All-England Club was formed in 1922, featuring notable figures like cricketer Jack Hobbs.

The English Table Tennis Association was established in 1927 under the leadership of Ivor Montague.
Montague later gained recognition as a film director and producer.
The first world championships were held in 1927, won by Hungarian Dr. Jacobi.
Hungarian players dominated the game throughout the 1930s, led by Victor Barna, who greatly elevated the sport’s status.
The invention of sponge rubber for bats in the 1950s revolutionized the game, introducing a faster, spin-heavy playing style.

The ITTF, table tennis’ governing body, implemented regulations to control the thickness of sponge and rubber, ensuring fairness in the game.
Despite initial resistance, the new bat materials significantly altered the game’s dynamics, paving the way for the modern, fast-paced style of play.

Table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988 at the Seoul Games.
The men's singles final of the Olympics attracted a global audience of 2 billion viewers.

Table tennis is widely enjoyed in China by millions at work, school, and community parks.
Chinese top players hold national hero status, often achieving pop star levels of fame.

David Foster introduced the first game of table tennis on a table in 1890.
The first national championships were organized in Hungary in 1897.
James Gibb brought the first celluloid ball from the United States in 1901, replacing the heavier rubber balls.
In 1902, E.C. Gould introduced bats covered with rubber and rubberized pimples, marking a significant advancement in the sport.