8 interesting facts about table tennis
- Early rackets were often pieces of parchment stretched upon a frame, and the sound generated in play gave the game its first nicknames of “wiff-waff” and “Ping-pong”.
- The game originated as a sport in England during the Victorian era, where it was played amongst the upper-class as an after dinner entertainment activity, commonly known then as “wiff-waff”.
- The ball used in table tennis has a diameter of 40 mm (formerly 38 mm), is made of celluloid, and is hollow.
- The game is played on a 9 ft × 5 ft × 30 inches high table.
- Since 1988, table tennis has been an Olympic sport.
- The winner is the first to score 11 points or more while being ahead by 2 points or more.
- A man in Hawaii has invented a three-player table for table tennis, calling it Tri-Pong.
- More than 30 table tennis companies exist around the world, making a full line of accessories from rackets to warm-up suits.
