 |
|
Table Tennis Games |
Table tennis (TT), affectionately known as Ping Pong (also
known as Gossima, Whiff-Whaff, Flim-Flam), is a sport of two or four
players hitting a ball back and forth to each other on a table
divided by a net. The players hit the ball with paddles (racket).
During the play each player allows a ball played towards him or her
only one bounce on their side of the table and must hit it back so
that it bounces on the opponent's side.
Table Tennis is a fast game and demands quick reactions. A skilled
player may impart spin to the ball. This makes the ball bounce
difficult to predict or return with confidence. A combination of
spin and speed makes table tennis an exciting sport to play as well
as to watch.
DO YOU KNOW
|
In top-flight competition,
service is decided by a coin toss |
|
At
lower levels it is common for one player to hide the ball in one
or the other hand, allowing the other player to guess which hand
the ball is in. |
In
recreational games, the players may have a rally for a minimum
set number of hits, after which the rally is played out, with
either the winner choosing to serve or the tableside. |
HISTORY OF TABLE TENNIS
The origin of TT was in England. It was played as an after dinner
amusement for upper class Victorians in the 1880s, mimicking the
game of tennis in an indoor environment with everyday objects like
books, champagne cork, etc.
Its popularity led to manufacture of equipment commercially. The
paddles were pieces of parchment stretched upon a frame, it
generated sound. This gave the nickname of "whiff whaff"
and "Ping pong" to table tennis.
TABLE TENNIS IN OLYMPICS
- Debuted in 1988 at Seoul.
- Some of the glues are banned from Olympic competition because
they make the ball travel up to 30km/h faster.
Table Tennis