About Table Tennis
Table tennis, sometimes known as ping pong, is a racket and ball game for two players (singles) or for four players (doubles). The table tennis racket is often called a bat.
The players hit a small light ball across a table which is divided by a low net. Each player aims to win points by playing shots that his or her opponent will be unable to return. If a player misses a shot, hits the ball into the net or off the table, or breaks a rule, a point is added to the opponent’s score. The first player (or pair) to reach 21 points, with a lead of at least two points is the winner of the game. A table tennis match consists of three or five games.
Table tennis is a very popular sport with an estimated 22.5 million registered competitive players world-wide; it is second only to soccer as the world’s most played sport. There are competitions for men and women, in singles and doubles and also mixed doubles. There are junior competitions for similar events.
Table tennis has been included in the Olympic Games since 1988.
Table tennis is China’s national sport — there are more than 20 million registered players in China. Each national championship takes a year to complete and involves about one million players.