Table Tennis History

Table tennis history goes back to the late 1800s. The first known version of table tennis was played by British soldiers in South Africa and India. Another version of table tennis was introduced in England. This version was called "whiff whaff". Others called it "gossima". Indoor tables specifically designed for this type were manufactured by the company known as Parker Brothers. They produced unique tables with nets, a small ball and two paddles. They called their product table tennis.

Ping Pong's Beginning

The name ping pong was created by James Gibbs in 1900. He purchased the game for use at home. After hearing the sound made by the tiny ball on the table, he named it ping pong. However, John Jacques, a sporting goods producer, came up with the same idea. He sold the name ping pong to Parker Brothers 1901. The name was registered and became the trademark product name for Parker Brother's table tennis game.

Ping Pong Association

After the popular game gained momentum as a fun sport to play, a Ping Pong Association was formed. Due to the expensive product Parker Brothers sold, the association lasted only three years before dying out. Known and marketed as table tennis, other manufacturers produced and sold their versions of ping pong. These less expensive games spread rather quickly and a new Ping Pong Association came to life in 1921.

International Table Tennis Federation

The International Table Tennis Federation took ping pong to another level of playing in 1926. It became a sporting event in 1927. The very first tournament began in London. In 1930 the American Ping Pong Association formed. The American association influenced the popularity of the sport, but was limited by the domination of Parker Brothers. The company still dominated the table tennis industry.

Several other American associations formed in 1933. The U. S. Amateur Table Tennis Association and the National Table Tennis Association rivaled the American Ping Pong Association. In 1935, they all combined to form one entity called the U.S. Table Tennis Association. This association became the USA Table Tennis some time in 1994.

Table Tennis Today

Table tennis is a widely popular sport around the world. It's a sporting event, favorite family game and Olympic sport. Table tennis history is far from over. If you want to enjoy a great game that is both fun and entertaining, try a game of table tennis.