12 Facts About Table tennis

Table tennis, known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets.

Table tennis is governed by the worldwide organization International Table Tennis Federation, founded in 1926.

Table tennis has been an Olympic sport since 1988, with several event categories.

Table tennis was growing in popularity by 1901 to the extent that tournaments were being organized, books being written on the subject, and an unofficial world championship was held in 1902.

Table tennis was introduced as an Olympic sport at the Olympics in 1988.

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Table tennis regulations allow different rubber surfaces on each side of the racket.

The rules of table tennis do not prescribe the manner in which one must grip the racket, and numerous grips are employed.

In table tennis topspin is regarded as an offensive technique due to increased ball speed, lower bio-mechanical efficiency and the pressure that it puts on the opponent by reducing reaction time.

Competitive table tennis is popular in East Asia and Europe, and has been gaining attention in the United States.

In 2014, Singapore Table Tennis Association's president Lee Bee Wah quit over this issue; her successor, Ellen Lee, later favored the application for citizenship of Zeng Jian, a China-born paddler.

Hardbat table tennis uses rackets with short outward "pips" and no sponge, resulting in decreased speeds and reduced spin.

Round the World table tennis is an informal party-type variation in which players line up on either side of the table.