Figure 1.--These New Zealand boys play ping-pong in their school uniforms. As ping-pong is more a game than sport, participants do not normally wear specialized uniforms.
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Figure 1.--These New Zealand boys play ping-pong in their school uniforms. As ping-pong is more a game than sport, participants do not normally wear specialized uniforms. |
HBC has noted widely varying accounts concerning the origins of paddle tennis or ping-pong. One source suggests that the origins date back to 12th century, but they may well be referring to the origins of tennis itself. A better documented event was Frank Peer Beale's efforts in 1898 to help children learn to play tennis. He brought the game to New York in the early 1920s. In 1959 Murray Geller revised the rules, where it evolved into the modern game of Paddle Tennis that is played today.
One source reports that table tennis began in England during the 12th century as a spin-off of "Royal Tennis".
Ping-pong was popular in the 19th-century as a parlor game in Victorian homes. Equipment was made from various homemade articles, such as cardboard for rackets, books as nets and the ball was usually a ball of string.
It is believed that in the late 1880’s, an American sporting goods manufacturer by the name of Parker Brothers, tried their hands at making "official" equipment. At that time, Parker Brothers was already "Indoor Tennis" equipment to England. Equipment was still very primitive and balls were then solid rubber or cork and usually
covered with material to prevent damage to furniture.
Plastic balls were introduced to the game after an Englishman named James Gibb, visited America and discovered children playing with small plastic toy balls. He brought some back to England and used the plastic balls for table tennis. To his surprise, it gave an unexpected, overwhelming boost to this already popular game. After years of being called Gossima, Film-Flam and Whiff-Whaff, the name "Ping Pong" was finally adopted as a trade name by Parker Brothers because of the new sound these plastic balls made when they hit the table and the racket/paddle.
This popular table game began to spread wildly and was introduced to Japan, China, Korea, India and South Africa, presumably by British Army Officers who were stationed there. By 1910, "Ping Pong" had also become
very popular in Central Europe.
National Associations were beginning to form during the 1920’s and due to the sport’s rapid growth, an International governing body was needed. On January 15th, 1926, the International Table Tennis Federation was initiated by Dr. Georg Lehman of Berlin, Germany. By December, a constitution and laws were agreed upon and the first World Championships were held. The ITTF presently represents 127 Affilliated Associations.
Ping-pong is not normally a competive sport. It is more commonly a casual game played by children at schools and camps. Thus they normally wear their own casual clothes or school and camp uniforms.
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