Table Tennis History - a Timeline
Table tennis is a fast-paced indoor sport where players use small paddles to hit a lightweight ball over a net. It started in England in the late 19th century as an improvised indoor version of lawn tennis, and has become one of the most popular sports in the world.
a table tennis party in 1901A Table Tennis History Timeline ...
- Late 19th Century: Table tennis originated in England as an indoor version of lawn tennis, originally played with books as paddles and a golf ball.
- 1901: The term "ping-pong" was trademarked by J. Jaques & Son Ltd. in England.
- 1926: Formation of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)
- 1926: the first Table Tennis World Championships was held in London.
- 1930s–1950s: Dominance of European players, especially Hungary’s Victor Barna, who won 22 world titles.
- 1952: Introduction of the "Japanese Penhold Grip" and sponge-coated paddle, revolutionizing spin and speed.
- 1960: Table tennis was included as part of the Paralympic program at the first Games in 1960 in Rome.
- 1971: Ping-Pong Diplomacy – US and Chinese teams exchanged visits, helping thaw Cold War tensions.
- 1980s: Rise of Chinese dominance with players like Jan-Ove Waldner (Sweden) and Deng Yaping (China) setting new standards.
- 1988: Table Tennis included in the Olympics for the first time in Seoul, South Korea. There were events for men and women's singles and doubles.
- 2000: Ball size increased from 38mm to 40mm to slow down the game and improve rallies for spectators.
- 2001: Scoring system changed from 21-point games to 11-point games to make matches more exciting. Also, the serve rotation was reduced from five points to two.
- 2003: The Table Tennis World Championships was split into two events, the individual and team.
- 2008: At the Olympic Games, the doubles events were replaced by men's and women's team events.
- 2014: Introduction of the new poly material ball, replacing the traditional celluloid ball for environmental and safety reasons.
- 2021: a mixed doubles event added to the Olympic program in Tokyo, emphasizing gender balance.
Related Pages
- History of Sports
- Rules of Table Tennis
- Table Tennis at the Olympics
- Table Tennis Tournament Calendar
- What Table Tennis is called around the world
- Equipment for Table Tennis
- List of Table Tennis Polls
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
