World table tennis day: how tennis became small

Watching a professional tennis match can be like attending a ballet. Strong, serious players, dressed all in white, float over the court to the consistent sound of the ball pounding rhythmically against the ground. Skirts flare, bodies soar, and hearts pound in time as the athletes tell a story with their bodies.

Very, very few athletes will have careers like Cameron Norrie or Virginia Wade. Lucky for the rest of us, there’s ping pong!

Ping pong is the unlikely Olympic sport that has taken the world by storm. On April 6th, we’ll celebrate World Table Tennis Day. If you’re seeking a new sport and aren’t sure where to start, this might be the sign you need to hit the tiny courts and begin a new athletic hobby!

Will you be Britain’s next table tennis hero?

We’re taking a look back at over a century of ping pong history, from the turn of the century until today. Keep reading to learn about the fascinating history of table tennis, as well as how to get involved yourself!

OUR TABLE TENNIS TIMELINE

Today, Ping Pong is a cultural staple. You can find a table at any community centre or resort. Where did the tiny tennis trend begin, and how has the sport changed over time?

1880S — THE BEGINNING

Way back in the Victorian era, lawn tennis was a popular outdoor activity. If you’re picturing women in corsets, hats, and bustles sprinting across the lawn for a serve, you’re not far off. It was a popular outdoor pastime for the middle class, particularly among women.

It did involve a lot of exertion, however. While women may have been seeking a diversion, they didn’t all want to sweat through their stays. Thus, they began playing a miniature version of the sport.

Players would use cigar boxes to bat champagne corks back and forth across a table. A book would often serve as the net. It was an entertaining parlour game to play after dinner.

1900S — TECHNOLOGY CHANGES THE GAME

Since there was no ball involved, there was no onomatopoeic sound to give the game its name. Before it was ping pong, the Victorians called the sport wiff-waff! It only became Ping Pong in 1901, when Hamley’s of Regent Street began manufacturing proper ping pong equipment, including celluloid balls.

By then, the game had caught on internationally. The first Ping Pong world championship took place in 1902. The first European Championships occurred in 1907. It seemed the simple sport was here to stay!

1920S — PUTTING THE ‘TABLE’ IN TABLE TENNIS

The sport would not go through another major transition until the 1920s, with the creation of the Table Tennis Association. This was the first time anyone used “table tennis” as an alternative name for the sport. Throughout the decade, nearly every nation would establish its own Table Tennis Association.

1930S — TABLE TENNIS BECOMES… ILLEGAL?

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