Brief Table Tennis History

Most people know that the world's most widely played sport is soccer, but what's number two? Believe it or not, with well over 30 million registered competitive players worldwide, table tennis (or ping pong) makes a solid case for the runner up. That astounding number does not include all the countless more that play casually in their basements, garages, or game rooms.

Origins

Table tennis first emerged as a parlor game in England some time during the mid-1800s, though it was not exactly an entirely new concept. Tennis and badminton had been popular lawn games since medieval times, so this type of game was a part of the public consciousness. Though no single individual receives credit for the "invention" of table tennis, most historians agree that it spread quickly after someone improvised a miniature version of the full scale lawn game when inclement weather kept tennis players indoors.

Name Game

Flim-flam, whiff-whaff, and gossima were all early names for table tennis until John Jacques introduced the game to the English masses with the appealing name of Ping Pong. This catchy name, which imitated the sounds of the ball striking the table and the calfskin paddles, helped the game soar to popularity.

In 1901, Parker Brothers acquired the trademark name of Ping Pong, which led to a widespread distribution of the game across Europe in the early years of the twentieth century. During this time, the game still held the status of a pastime rather than a sport.

Just a Fad?

The public gradually tired of Ping Pong over the next few years as it spread across the European continent, and it seemed as though Ping Pong would be but a passing fad. But in the early 1920s Ping Pong enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in England under its former name, table tennis. Shortly thereafter, organizations of players formed across Europe and in Asia, where the game had also grown quickly in popularity. These organizations established standardized rules and equipment, and before long, table tennis began to look much more like a bona fide sport than just a leisurely parlor game.

The World Stage

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) was founded in 1926, and they crowned their first World Champion one year later. Over the course of the next half century, table tennis underwent rules changes and equipment standardizations just like any other major sport. The intense level of international competition finally earned table tennis a place in the Olympic Games in 1988 as players continually challenged each other's physical fitness and mental concentration.

Today and Tomorrow

Thanks to these athletes and the dedication of the ITTF over the past several decades, table tennis has seen nothing but increases in both participation and popularity, and there is no reason to believe the sport's popularity will decline.

Ping Pong, table tennis, flim-flam or gossama. You can call it whatever you like, as long as you also call it one of the most popular sports in the world.