History

Parker Brothers Ping-Pong game

The game originated in England during the 1880s, where it was played among the upper-class as
an after-dinner parlour game.
[4][5]
It has been suggested that the game was first developed by
British military officers in India or South Africa who brought it back with them.
[6]
A row of
books was stood up along the center of the table as a net, two more books served as rackets and
were used to continuously hit a golf-ball from one end of the table to the other. Alternatively
table tennis was played with paddles made of cigar box lids and balls made of champagne corks.
The popularity of the game led game manufacturers to sell equipment commercially. 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". A number of sources indicate
that the game was first brought to the attention of Hamley's of Regent Street under the name
"Gossima".
[7][8]
The name "ping-pong" was in wide use before British manufacturer J. Jaques &
Son Ltd trademarked it in 1901. The name "ping-pong" then came to be used for the game
played by the rather expensive Jaques's equipment, with other manufacturers calling it table
tennis. A similar situation arose in the United States, where Jaques sold the rights to the "ping-
pong" name to Parker Brothers. Parker Brothers then enforced their trademark for the term in the
1920s making the various associations change their names to "table tennis" instead of the more
common, but trademarked, term.
[9]

The next major innovation was by James W. Gibb, a British enthusiast of table tennis, who
discovered novelty celluloid balls on a trip to the US in 1901 and found them to be ideal for the
game. This was followed by E.C. Goode who, in 1901, invented the modern version of the racket
by fixing a sheet of pimpled, or stippled, rubber to the wooden blade. Table tennis was growing
in popularity by 1901 to the extent that tournaments were being organized, books being written
on the subject,
[7]
and an unofficial world championship was held in 1902. During the early
1900s, the game was banned in Russia because the rulers at the time believed that playing the
game had an adverse effect on players' eyesight.
[10]

In 1921, the Table Tennis Association was founded in Britain, and the International Table Tennis
Federation (ITTF) followed in 1926.
[4][11]
London hosted the first official World Championships
in 1926. In 1933, the United States Table Tennis Association, now called USA Table Tennis,
was formed.
[4][12]

In the 1930s, Edgar Snow commented in Red Star Over China that the Communist forces in the
Chinese Civil War had a "passion for the English game of table tennis" which he found
"bizarre".
[13]

In the 1950s, rackets that used a rubber sheet combined with an underlying sponge layer changed
the game dramatically,
[4]
introducing greater spin and speed.
[14]
These were introduced to Britain
by sports goods manufacturer S.W. Hancock Ltd. The use of speed glue increased the spin and
speed even further, resulting in changes to the equipment to "slow the game down". Table tennis
was introduced as an Olympic sport at the Olympics in 1988.
[15]

Rule changes
After the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, the ITTF instituted several rule changes that were
aimed at making table tennis more viable as a televised spectator sport.
[16][17]
First, the older
38 mm (1.50 in) balls were officially replaced by 40 mm (1.57 in) balls in October 2000.
[7][18]

This increased the ball's air resistance and effectively slowed down the game. By that time,
players had begun increasing the thickness of the fast sponge layer on their paddles, which made
the game excessively fast and difficult to watch on television. A few months later, the ITTF
changed from a 21-point to an 11-point scoring system (and the serve rotation was reduced from
five points to two), effective in September 2001.
[7]
This was intended to make games more fast-
paced and exciting. The ITTF also changed the rules on service to prevent a player from hiding
the ball during service, in order to increase the average length of rallies and to reduce the server's
advantage, effective in 2002.
[19]
In order for the opponent to have time in order to realise a serve
is taking place, the ball must be tossed a minimum of 16cm in the air. There is a move towards
reviving the table tennis game that existed prior to the introduction of sponge rubber. "Hardbat"
table tennis players reject the speed and spin of reversed sponge rubber, preferring the 194060s
play style with no sponge and short-pimpled rubber. This makes defense less difficult by
decreasing the speed and eliminating any meaningful magnus effect of spin. Because hardbat
killer shots are almost impossible to hit against a skilled player, hardbat matches focus on the
strategic side of table tennis, requiring skillful maneuvering of the opponent before an attack can
become successful.
Equipment
Ball

Assortment of 40 mm table tennis balls
The international rules specify that the game is played with a sphere having a mass of 2.7 grams
(0.095 oz) and a diameter of 40 millimetres (1.57 in).
[21]
The rules say that the ball shall bounce
up 2426 cm (9.410.2 in) when dropped from a height of 30.5 cm (12.0 in) onto a standard steel
block thereby having a coefficient of restitution of 0.89 to 0.92. The 40 mm ball was introduced
after the 2000 Summer Olympics.
[18]
However, this created some controversy as the Chinese
National Team argued that this was merely to give non-Chinese players a better chance of
winning since the new type of ball has a slower speed, while at that time most Chinese players
were playing with fast attack and smashes. (China won all four Olympic gold medals and three
silvers in 2000, and have continued to dominate.) A 40 mm table tennis ball is slower and spins
less than the original 38 mm one. The ball is made of a high-bouncing air-filled celluloid or
similar plastics material, coloured white or orange, with a matte finish. The choice of ball colour
is made according to the table colour and its surroundings. For example, a white ball is easier to
see on a green or blue table than it is on a grey table. Manufacturers often indicate the quality of
the ball with a star rating system, usually from one to three, three being the highest grade. As this
system is not standard across manufacturers, the only way a ball may be used in official
competition is upon ITTF approval.
[21]
The ITTF approval can be seen printed on the ball.
Table

Diagram of a table tennis table showing the official dimensions
The table is 2.74 m (9.0 ft) long, 1.525 m (5.0 ft) wide, and 76 cm (2.5 ft) high with any
continuous material so long as the table yields a uniform bounce of about 23 cm (9.1 in) when a
standard ball is dropped onto it from a height of 30 cm (11.8 in), or about 77%.
[22][23]
The table or
playing surface is uniformly dark coloured and matte, divided into two halves by a net at
15.25 cm (6.0 in) in height. The ITTF approves only wooden tables or their derivates. Concrete
tables with a steel net or a solid concrete partition are sometimes available in outside public
spaces, such as parks.
[24]

Paddle
Main article: Table tennis racket
Players are equipped with a laminated wooden racket covered with rubber on one or two sides
depending on the grip of the player. The ITTF uses the term "racket",
[25]
though "bat" is common
in Britain, and "paddle" in the U.S.
The wooden portion of the racket, often referred to as the "blade", commonly features anywhere
between one and seven plies of wood, though cork, glass fiber, carbon fiber, aluminum fiber, and
Kevlar are sometimes used. According to the ITTF regulations, at least 85% of the blade by
thickness shall be of natural wood.
[26]
Common wood types include balsa, limba, and cypress or
"hinoki," which is popular in Japan. The average size of the blade is about 6.5 inches (17 cm)
long and 6 inches (15 cm) wide. Although the official restrictions only focus on the flatness and
rigidness of the blade itself, these dimensions are optimal for most play styles.
Table tennis regulations allow different surfaces on each side of the racket.
[27]
Various types of
surfaces provide various levels of spin or speed, and in some cases they nullify spin. For
example, a player may have a rubber that provides much spin on one side of his racket, and one
that provides no spin on the other. By flipping the racket in play, different types of returns are
possible. To help a player distinguish between the rubber used by his opposing player,
international rules specify that one side must be red while the other side must be black.
[26]
The
player has the right to inspect his opponent's racket before a match to see the type of rubber used
and what colour it is. Despite high speed play and rapid exchanges, a player can see clearly what
side of the racket was used to hit the ball. Current rules state that, unless damaged in play, the
racket cannot be exchanged for another racket at any time during a match


Grips
Though table tennis players grip their rackets in various ways, their grips can be classified into
two major families of styles, penhold and shakehand.
[42]
The rules of table tennis do not
prescribe the manner in which one must grip the racket, and numerous grips are employed.
Penhold
The penhold grip is so-named because one grips the racket similarly to the way one holds a
writing instrument.
[43]
The style of play among penhold players can vary greatly from player to
player. The most popular style, usually referred to as the Chinese penhold style, involves curling
the middle, ring, and fourth finger on the back of the blade with the three fingers always
touching one another.
[43]
Chinese penholders favour a round racket head, for a more over-the-
table style of play. In contrast, another style, sometimes referred to as the Japanese/Korean
penhold grip, involves splaying those three fingers out across the back of the racket, usually with
all three fingers touching the back of the racket, rather than stacked upon one another.
[43]

Sometimes a combination of the two styles occurs, wherein the middle, ring and fourth fingers
are straight, but still stacked, or where all fingers may be touching the back of the racket, but are
also in contact with one another. Japanese/Korean penholders will often use a square-headed
racket for an away-from-the-table style of play. Traditionally these square-headed rackets feature
a block of cork on top of the handle, as well as a thin layer of cork on the back of the racket, for
increased grip and comfort. Penhold styles are popular among players originating from East
Asian regions such as China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.
Traditionally, penhold players use only one side of the racket to hit the ball during normal play,
and the side which is in contact with the last three fingers is generally not used. This
configuration is sometimes referred to as "traditional penhold" and is more commonly found in
square-headed racket styles. However, the Chinese developed a technique in the 1990s in which
a penholder uses both sides of the racket to hit the ball, where the player produces a backhand
stroke (most often topspin) by turning the traditional side of the racket to face one's self, and
striking the ball with the opposite side of the racket. This stroke has greatly improved and
strengthened the penhold style both physically and psychologically, as it eliminates the strategic
weakness of the traditional penhold backhand.
Shakehand grip

Forehand

Backhand
Shakehand
The shakehand (or shakehands) grip is so-named because the racket is grasped as if one is
performing a handshake.
[44]
Though it is sometimes referred to as the "tennis" or "Western" grip,
it bears no relation to the Western tennis grip, which was popularized on the West Coast of the
United States in which the racket is rotated 90, and played with the wrist turned so that on
impact the knuckles face the target. In table tennis, Western refers to Western nations, for this
is the grip that players native to Europe and the Americas have almost exclusively employed.
The shakehand grips simplicity and versatility, coupled with the acceptance among top-level
Chinese trainers that the European style of play should be emulated and trained against, has
established it as a common grip even in China.
[45]
Many world-class Asian players currently use
the shakehand grip, and it is generally accepted that shakehands is easier to learn than penholder,
allowing a broader range of playing styles both offensive and defensive.
[46]

International Table Tennis Federation
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) governs the sport and therefore they set the
official table tennis rules and regulations and award the organisation of Major tournaments to
affiliated organisations around the world.
You'll find a calendar of international events here and you can get all the results of the Major
tournaments by following the links below.
The results from these tournaments also enable the ITTF to produce a monthly world ranking list
(sometimes known as a rating list).


The Most Common Table Tennis Injuries and How To Avoid Them
Table Tennis is not a sport that is general
considered to include a high risk of injury. Its non-contact, indoors and doesnt involve
anywhere near as much movement as other sports such as tennis, badminton or squash. However,
injuries are still relatively common. I know this personally having injured myself playing British
League this Saturday and having to pull out of the games on Sunday.
Another point to consider is that table tennis players often keep playing much later into life than
those of many other sports. Pop along to any local league match and youll see what I mean. Its
great that we can keep playing our sport as we get older but it does mean we need to think more
seriously about the types of injuries we could pick up.
So what are the most common types of injuries in table tennis and what can we do to avoid
them? Ive searched the web looking for answers and this is what Ive found.
The Most Common Injury is
Muscle strains. I strained my tricep on Saturday and it was the first time Id ever really injured
myself playing. Muscle strains are usually caused by the lack of a proper warm-up. We all know
that its important to get our muscles warm before playing but perhaps we dont realise just how
quickly they get cold again. I always do quite a comprehensive warm-up when I arrive at training
or a tournament and I did so on Saturday.The problem comes when you warm-up, play a match,
and then sit down for 90 minutes until your next match.
On Saturday, the hall was quite cold. I had been inactive for quite a long period of time watching
and coaching my team mates. I then got up, took my tracksuit off and jumped on the table,
without any thought for doing another warm-up. This was the problem. I often see the top juniors
get up five minutes before they are due to go on and go into the corridor to start warming up,
shadowing shots and the like. Perhaps this is something Im going to need to incorporate into
my routine.
If we are properly warmed-up we should be fine reaching for those wide balls and quickly
twisting and turning our body to finish off points. If were not warmed-up, and especially if the
hall is cold, were kind of just waiting for a strain to happen.
But There is a Problem
And the problem is all about how we think others will perceive us. Its easy to say we should do
a warm-up and its a good idea to shadow some shots before we go on the table but often once
we arrive at the venue we talk ourselves out of it.
Why?
Because we think well look silly. Its fine for the top players and the juniors to do long warm-
ups around their tables before they start (we even look over and admire their professionalism)
but wont people think were a bit odd if we start doing it? There seems to be a bit of an attitude
in table tennis that goes something like, Hes a bit keen if you see a player doing a proper
warm-up. Its almost as if warm-ups at tournaments (and by warm-up I mean a proper physical
warm-up not just knocking) have become exclusive something for the elite players and you need
to be of a certain standard to get away with doing one and not looking a fool.
Can we change this? Maybe. Can you do a warm-up anyway even if people are thinking youre
taking it all a bit too seriously? Definitely! And you have the last laugh when theyre injured.
Other Common Injuries
An ITTF research paper looked at the most common areas of injury in table tennis players. Here
are the top 5.
1. Lower back
2. Knee joint
3. Wrist joint
4. Shoulder joint
5. Ankle joint
It appears that the main joints of the arms and legs are most susceptible to injury. This can often
be caused by overuse or poor technique. I believe this is especially true in shoulder injuries. We
really shouldnt be using too much shoulder in our shots. Players with poor technique using lots
of shoulder instead of general weight transfer, or playing with a very stiff/tense arm, are much
more likely to see these types of injuries.
The weight-bearing nature of table tennis and the focus on lots of small, quick movements can
lead to problems in the knees and ankles. Youll see lots of older players with their knees
strapped up. We must be careful not to put too much pressure on the knees, especially when they
are leaning over to one side.


The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is the governing body for all international
table tennis associations.
[1]
The role of the ITTF includes overseeing rules and regulations and
seeking technological improvement for the sport of table tennis. The ITTF is responsible for the
organization of numerous international competitions, including the World Table Tennis
Championships that has continued since 1926.
Founding history
The ITTF was founded in 1926 by, the nine founding members being Austria, Czechoslovakia,
Denmark, England, Germany, Hungary, India, Sweden and Wales.
[2]
The first international
tournament was held in January 1926 in Berlin while the first World Table Tennis
Championships was held in December 1926 in London.
Toward the end of 2000, the ITTF instituted several rules changes aimed at making table tennis
more viable as a televised spectator sport. The older 38 mm balls were officially replaced by
40 mm balls.
[3]
This increased the ball's air resistance and effectively slowed down the game.
On 29 February 2008, the ITTF announced several rules changes after an ITTF Executive
Meeting in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China with regards to a player's eligibility to play for a new
association. The new ruling is to encourage associations to develop their own players.
[4]

The headquarters of the ITTF is in Lausanne, Switzerland. The current president of the ITTF is
Adham Sharara, from Canada.
Rules
Player eligibility
For ITTF World Title events, a player is eligible to play for his association by registering with
the ITTF. If the player chooses to play for a new association, he shall register with the ITTF,
through the new association.
[9]

The player shall not represent the new association before.
The player will be eligible to play for the new association after three, five, seven years
after the date of registration, if the player is under the age of 15, 18, 21 respectively
If the player is 21 years of age or older, he will not be registered with the ITTF and not be
eligible to represent a new association at World Title events.
Service and point system
The table tennis point system was reduced from a 21 to an 11-point scoring system in 2001.
[3]
A
game shall be won by the player or pair first scoring 11 points unless both players or pairs score
10 points, when the game shall be won by the first player or pair subsequently gaining a lead of 2
points. This was intended to make games more fast-paced and exciting. The ITTF also changed
the rules on service to prevent a player from hiding the ball during service,
[10]
in order to increase
the average length of rallies and to reduce the server's advantage. Today, the game changes from
time to time mainly to improve on the excitement for television viewers.
Speed glue ban
In 2007, ITTF's board of directors in Zagreb decided to implement the VOC-free glue rule at
Junior events, starting from 1 January 2008, as a transitional period before the full
implementation of the VOC ban on 1 September 2008.
[11]

As of 1 January 2009, all speed glue was to have been banned.


History Of Table Tennis In India

Origin
Table tennis was invented in England in the later half of the 19th century. Originally, the game
was called 'ping-pong' until 1901, when it was rechristened to table tennis. The game was
brought to India during the first half of the 20th century. Initially, it was an after-dinner
amusement for the British officers in India. The British people dominated the game for a long
time, until the establishment of the Table Tennis Federation of India, which played a pivotal role
in bringing the talents of Indian table tennis players.



World Championships
India has participated in a number of important table tennis tournaments, one of the prominent
being the inaugural World Championships, which the country hosted in Bombay (Mumbai) in
1952. This was a milestone in the history of table tennis in India, because the World
Championships were held for the first time in Asia. Thereafter, the country delivered remarkable
performances in the international events, both in the individual and team levels. Indian table
tennis players were sent to the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988, to represent India. It was this year,
when table tennis was included in Olympics for the first time.
Read more at http://www.iloveindia.com/sports/table-
tennis/history.html#9MCgZcQLaTQJO9uS.99


1880s

Adaption of lawn tennis to the dining table with improvised equipment
1885 James Devonshire (ENG) granted provisional patent for his "Table Tennis"

1890s
Several patents registered in England and the USA
Earliest surviving action game of table tennis: David Foster's Parlour Table Games,
England 1890
Sets produced under trade names such as Gossima, and Indoor Tennis, with Lawn
Tennis style rules
1900
Introduction of celluloid balls to replace rubber and cork ones. The celluloid ball had
the perfect bounce, and the game became a huge success
1901
Table Tennis Association and rival Ping Pong Association formed in England;
amalgamated in 1903
First books on the game published in England
The game is introduced in China via western settlements
1904 Ping Pong craze fades, some pockets of popularity in eastern Europe continue
1922
Revival of the game in Europe, though laws varied
Establishment of standard laws of the Game in England
1926
International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) initiated in Berlin
First World Championships held in London, England. ITTF Constitution adopted,
along with first set of standardized Laws.
Ivor Montagu (ENG) elected first President (Chairman)
1920s
1950
Classic Hard Bat Era (European Dominance)
1926
1931
Maria Mednyanszky (HUN) wins the World Championships five times
consecutively. Mednyansky wins 18 gold medals over-all
1930
1935
Victor Barna (HUN) becomes five times world champion and is runner-up 1931
losing the final against his compatriot Miklos Szabados. Barna wins a record 22 gold
medals at world championships during his career, 40 medals overall
1936
Tenth World Championships held in Prague, Czechoslovakia. The longest rally took
place, the first point taking over two hours
1939 First World Championship held outside Europe: Cairo, Egypt
1943 First Continental Federation founded December 12: South American Confederation.
1950
1955
Angelica Rozeanu-Adelstein (ROU) wins the World Championships six times in a
row and is the last non Asian to win the female singles title until today
1950s Age of Sponge Bat and Technology (Beginning of Asian Dominance)
1952
Nineteenth World Championships held in Bombay, India The first to be staged in
Asia and Japans entry to the international scene
Hiroji Satoh (JPN) became the first player to win a World Championship when
using a racket covered with thick sponge and is the first non-European winner
Inauguration of the Asian Federation & First Asian Federation Championships
1953 China entered the World Championships for the first time
1954 Ichiro Ogimura (JPN) is the epitome of Japanese dominance with technological
development and physical training
1956
Tomie Okada-Okawa (JPN) is the first female player from Asia to win the World
Championships and stops the European reign on worlds female table tennis.
1957 World Championship changes to a two-year cycle
1958
First European Championships, Budapest, Hungary. The USSR made their entry to
the international scene
1959
Rong Guotuan (CHN) is the first Chinese world champion in any sport
Racket standardization laws enacted
1962 First All-Africa Championships, Alexandria, Egypt
1967 Ivor Montagu retired as President of the ITTF after forty years in office
1971
First Commonwealth Championships held in Singapore
Ping Pong Diplomacy: table tennis played an important role in international
diplomacy when several teams were invited to China for a series of friendship
matches after the 1971 World Championships. Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai: Your
visit to China has opened the door for people-to-people exchanges between China and
the USA.
1971
Stellan Bengtsson (SWE) wins the mens singles title and heralds the start of three
decades of Swedish influence, with top players such as Kjell Johansson, Mikael
Appelgren, Erik Lindh, Jan-Ove Waldner, Jrgen Persson, and Peter Karlsson.
1973 First World University Championships held in Hanover, Germany
1977
ITTF received formal declaration of its recognition by the International Olympic
Committee (IOC)
1979
First European Championships for Paraplegics (wheelchair players) held in Stoke
Mandeville, England
1980 First World Cup held in Hong Kong
1981
World Championships held in Nova Sad, Yugoslavia. Total triumph for China, whose
athletes win all of the seven gold medals
Table tennis admitted to the Olympic programme (84th session IOC)
1982
First World Veterans Championships held in Gothenburg, Sweden
First World Championships for the disabled held in Stoke Mandeville, England
1985 European Youth Championships held in The Hague, Holland
Modern Olympics Era (Chinese Reign with few exceptions)
1988
For the very first time, table tennis was featured in the Olympic Games that were held
in Seoul, South Korea
1992
Former World champion, Jan-Ove Waldner (SWE) became Olympic singles
champion and reputedly, the first table tennis millionaire
1995
World Championships held in Tianjin, China. Total triumph for China for the second
time, winning seven gold medals
1996 Beginning of the ITTF Pro Tour, with events taking place all around the world
2000
After the Olympics in Sydney, the ball size is increased to 40mm for improved
television viewing
2001
Game score changed from 21 to 11 points World Championships held in Osaka,
Japan. Total triumph for China for the third time, winning all of the seven gold
medals
2002
Implementation of the ITTF World Junior Circuit (U18) and World Cadet Challenge
(U15 continental team competition)
2003
First ITTF World Junior Championships in Santiago, Chile
Team Championships separated from individual events, held in alternate years
2004
During the Olympic Games in Athens, Table Tennis ranked 5th among all sports for
television viewing audience
2005
World Championships held in Shanghai, China. Total triumph again for China,
winning all of the five gold medals.
2006
World Championships held in Bremen, Germany. The Chinese athletes complete the
collection with two gold medals in the team events
2007
World Championships held in Zagreb, Croatia. Total triumph number five for China,
winning all of the five gold medals
First appearance of table tennis as a compulsory sport at the Universiade in Bangkok,
Thailand
2008
China sweeps the Team championships in Guangzhou
China wins all the Gold at the Beijing Olympic Games
2010 Table tennis is part of the first Youth Olympic Games



It will surprise most of you that proposals for Table Tennis to join the Olympic Games
began as early as 1931, when the long and winding road began. According to the minutes
of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the 1931 World Championships in Budapest on
15 February, Paragraph 11b:

"a discourse on the Olympic Games was received from Dr. Mezo and it was agreed to
explore the possibilities outlined." Unfortunately the ITTF Archives do not have a copy of
this discourse.

The next mention of the Olympics is in the 1932 English Language Secretary (Montagu)
Report, paragraph 7:

"Circular sent to all countries, as per A.G.M instruction, asking for information on Olympic
Games situation. One reply received. Japan has written to Los Angeles proposing for
Games this year. British Olympic Council recommends, if any action at all is desired,
proposed as supplementary (no principal) game, Berlin 1936."

Then in the 1932 AGM minutes, paragraph 8, just one sentence: "Steps are to be taken to
secure the holding of Table Tennis events simultaneously with the winter sports at the
Olympic Games Berlin 1936."

The minutes of the AGM held at the 1937 World Championships in
Baden, Austria, summarize a resolution and vote on the Olympic issue:

"It was decided to instruct the Advisory Committee
to get in touch with the Preparatory Commission for
the forthcoming Olympiad at Tokio with a view to
the inclusion of Table Tennis in that Olympiad. All
countries in favor except England who were against."

At the 1938 World Championships: "It was reminded that the Secretaries had been
instructed to take steps towards the inclusion of Table Tennis in the Olympic Games. They
were instructed to write immediately to the Japan TTA on the subject."

The ITTF was inactive during the war years, but there was a significant position statement
on the Olympic issue made by ITTF President Ivor Montagu at the 1946 London
Conference, hosted by Montagu to revive the ITTF after the war. When directly asked for
his position, Montagu replied:

"I am opposed to the inclusion of Table Tennis in the Olympic Games. Firstly, I think the
Olympic Games should be restricted to Athletics and similar events, where athletes vie
with each other, not extend to sports of Football or Lawn Tennis type.

"Second, I think sports that do not have their own world title competitions need the
Olympic Games. We, and similarly Lawn Tennis with the Davis Cup, do not need the
Olympics. For us they are a duplication. Lawn Tennis dropped out of the Olympics after, I
think, 1924. Third, it is not certain that if we applied we would be successful. If we were
refused it would be a rebuff and a humiliation to the game."

Montagu's reasoning requires some analysis. Table Tennis is indeed a sport where
athletes vie with each other, though back in the 1940s most players were hardly the well-
conditioned superb athletes of Olympic standards.

Regarding his second point, Lawn Tennis did in fact withdraw from the Olympic
community, shortly before the 1928 Games began in Amsterdam, and did not reappear
until 1988. Lawn Tennis leaders felt that the Olympics would become an unwanted rival
to Wimbledon. However, it is difficult to accept this argument given the 4-year Olympic
cycle, and the participants would certainly gain national and worldwide recognition, as
well as an experience of a lifetime. Mr. Ollen of Sweden cited the benefits of receiving a
share of funds for training Olympic athletes.

Montagu's third point was certainly a legitimate concern, though A.K.Vint noted the
potential prestige of acceptance. A vote was then taken: Yes: Sweden, Denmark,
Netherlands, Jersey. No: Czechoslovakia. Undecided: England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland
and France. Montagu then proposed that each member nation's Olympic Committee
should be approached for their opinions, and the results referred to the Advisory
Committee for a decision.

Some member nations had concerns about Table Tennis joining the Olympics because of
the amateur issue, since the ITTF distinction between amateur and professional was
eliminated in 1935. Montagu dismissed the issue at the 1946 London Conference:

"On the amateur question, we can easily comply with Olympic requirements in this
respect by simply meeting and agreeing by Federation decision that no players shall be
included who have been paid for playing."

Then in the 1954 AGM minutes, para 7:

"The Secretary reported a communication from the Swiss Association requesting
discussion on the possibility of having Table Tennis included in the Olympic Games. After
the President had given an explanation of the Federation's past decisions on this subject,
considerable discussion took place, indicating that there were divergences of opinions. It
was eventually agreed to accept the President's proposal to ask the incoming Advisory
Committee to get as much information as possible from the representatives of Belgium,
Luxembourg and Switzerland, all of whom were members of their respective National
Olympic Committees, and report to the next Annual General Meeting." There is further
mention that those representatives met after the first AGM session, and had produced a
"Valuable report" to the Advisory Committee. Unfortunately a copy of this report has not
yet been found.

When Montagu retired in 1967, H.Roy Evans of Wales was elected ITTF President, and we
find an Olympic mention in the Biennial General Meeting (BGM) minutes from the 1967
World Championships in Stockholm:

"14. Olympic Committee: The President explained that in relation to the French
Association's proposal to investigate the possibility of affiliating to the International
Olampic Committee, the Federation would take all steps to secure the fullest information
on the implications of such a step.
Many delegates spoke of the importance to them of membership of the I.O.C., and it was
pointed out that actual participation in the Olympic Games need not be regular so that
there was little danger to the authority of the ITTF World Championships.
The officers agreed to seek information in all quarters on this important subject."

Ten years later the ITTF Constitution was amended to comply with the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) requirements. The amendment proposal passed by a vote of
65-12, clearing the way for recognition of Table Tennis by the IOC. As a result in
November 1977 the ITTF was notified that Table Tennis was officially recognized by the
IOC.

The 84th session of the IOC was held in Baden, 1981, and Table Tennis was admitted to
the
summer Olympics program, beginning with the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South
Korea.

Since then Table Tennis has distinguished itself in the Olympic Games in Barcelona 1992,
Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, with ever increasing worldwide
television viewing audiences. Table Tennis ranked number 5 in all sports at the Athens
Olympic Games!

Beginning in Beijing 2008, the format of the Table Tennis competition changed. The
Doubles events were replaced by a Team event, similar to the Davis Cup format in Tennis:
2 Singles, 1 Doubles and then 2 Singles, where a single player can only play in two of the
contests.
For more details on the Olympic Qualifications system and format of the Table Tennis
events, visit the ITTF homepage: ittf.com