Table tennis, also known as ping pong has been played worldwide for 140 years. With the passage of time, most things in this game have changed since its modest starting, being played initially in homes only by the upper classes. But now it is played by many players in many countries worldwide.
So if you want to know the detail regarding the history of table tennis, this article is definitely for you.
Who Introduced Table Tennis?
Table tennis, also named ping pong in the United States of America, was introduced in the 1880s in Victorian England. The ping pong game is the modified version of famous lawn tennis as an alternative to playing indoors in the winter when there is too cold outside.
Most people adopted the game because it was accessible for many to play at home for fun and entertainment as there was no need to go outside and have a big place.
Origin of Table Tennis
When it was noticed that the game was sustaining its popularity, the J Jaques & Son Ltd, a British trademarked manufacturer named ping pong, meant that the other makers knew it as Table tennis or with a different name.
The same event happened in the United States of America. Jaques sold the copyrights to the parker brothers, who assured that the associations and companies were not considering the game the name ping pong.
The History of the Table Tennis
The ping pong game started in the 1980s when lawn tennis players started to play this game indoors during winter. The sport instantly went on, and the tournaments were being held with the participation of 300 players in 1901.
The ping pong association was created under the name of the Table Tennis Association in the year 1922.
In 1922 a visiting professor of a Japanese university introduced the game in Japan, where he trained the university students about the game.
After a very short period, a British salesman named Edward Shires introduced the game to the Vienna people. Budapest and grounds were made for the growth and popularity worldwide.
Where did Ping Pong Had Started?
In England, ping pong had started to spread outside Britain in the distinctly middle-class confines of the country. And the leagues jumped up in many provinces and towns like Plymouth and Sunderland. associate
All England club wars introduced enhanced such luminaries as the famous cricketer Jack Hobbs and other celebrities in the world of sport. A nationwide tournament was held by the Daily mirror in which more than 40,000 competitors took part.
Going further, the ping pong game strongly emerged on the map. On May 24 April 1927, the English table tennis Association was introduced under the supervision and chairmanship of Ivor Montague, son of Lord Ewatthling. He was not the only one to become an expert in modern table tennis games, he also got credit as a film producer and director.
Simultaneously the ETTA got the membership of 19 leagues, but now it leads to more than 300 have more than 75000 registered players. In 1927 the first world championship was held, and Dr. Jacobi was the winner belonging to Hungry.
Apart from the well-known Fared Perry preparing for England in 1929, this tournament was the start of the growth and success of Hungarians, who were the winners of the ping pong game in the thirties. The team was supported by legendary Victor Barna, who got the motivation and skills to make the game well known in the status of the sport.
The game was turned upside down in 1950 with the introduction of sand with rubber or sponge, as this was the new material for rackets or paddles, which is now in great use with the addition of a unique thin covering of pimpled rubber.
Nowadays, ping pong is very well established and introduced in England and other countries worldwide and growing year by year. The recognition of the game in the world is as the Olympic game and sport being featured in the year 1988 for the first time in Seoul.
Early Equipment Table Tennis
The initial equipment has evolved a lot in the last 140 years. When it was first manufactured and appeared with a very different look from the rackets and tabletops that we are using today. The materials and technologies used in those days are now old dated and thus not liked and used today.
Early Table Tennis Bats
The bats used in table tennis come in many shapes, sizes, and styles. The commonly used were made with wood and covered with vellum canvas, stretched between the wooden frame. That is why ping pong got its name ping pong by the sound it gives by hitting the ball with the racket at different pitches.
Moreover, in 1900, E C Goode introduced the more popular paddle today. He was the first individual who used a layer of rubber on the top surface of the wooden blade. But later on, the sponge was used between the blade and the rubber.
Early Table Tennis Tables
In the past, table tennis was being played on billiard tables, and on dining tables, players were used to set the net on the edges of the table to control the ball or even across the table. In India and British, the soldiers made their tables using a row of books in place of a net and many books in place of rackets and used golf balls.
Table Tennis Balls Creation
Different sizes and shapes of balls were used in the early days of ping pong. In 1900 the balls were made with rubber and cork, which was not the ideal condition because the bounce of the ball was very uncertain. However, in 1901 James W Gibb introduced table tennis balls made of cellulose which was the perfect option for the game. In 2000 the size of the ball was increased to 40 mm, and in 2014.
Ping Pong Diplomacy
Table tennis became a part of politics in the 1970s when Chinese and American players were used to coming to their respective countries to participate in great tournaments. The visit to China by President Nixon that s why given the name of ping-pong diplomacy.
This event opens the door for the players of two countries during the embargo on China that was lifted during the cold war.
Table Tennis as an Olympic Sport
During the 20th century, table tennis gained popularity quickly and introduces as Olympic support when it was played in the Korean Olympic games in 1988 in Seoul. Now people worldwide love to play this game, as many as 875 million people.
The Ping Pong Rise of Sweden from the 1970s to 2000s
In the 1970s, some types of experiments were done to make the speed of the bat faster by applying Bicycle tire repair glue on them and generating more spin. This was known as speed glue, and the credit goes to Yugoslavian Dragutin Surbek and Tibor Klamppar.
Moreover, the first two decades were similar to the last one, when China dominated the world events and tournaments in both men’s and women’s categories. But when in 1989, 1991, and 1993, the Swedish player came to the top position, the dominance of China was brought to an end in 1989.
Conclusion
Summing up, I hope that the post about table tennis history has explained all about the query well. So, to know more about table tennis or ping pong history you can comment to us in the below section!
