Interesting facts about table tennis. Facts about table tennis Useful addresses and links for beginners to play table tennis

According to the International Table Tennis Federation, the first person to try to patent the parlor game was an Englishman named James Devonshire. He called the game "table tennis." But Devonshire, who applied for the patent in 1885, abandoned it in 1887. Other reports claim that Englishman David Foster patented the rules of table tennis in 1890.
John Jacques, founder of the English manufacturing company sports equipment John Jacques and Son Ltd, is credited with officially commercializing ping pong in 1901. He outlined official rules for the game, which he called "gossima", and began selling equipment for the game. The name “gossima” did not catch on, so Jacques soon called the game “ping pong” because of the sound made by the balls.
Table tennis develops dexterity, reaction, and simply allows you to warm up after sitting at the computer for many hours. At the same time, not everyone knows about the history of this game and the most interesting facts associated with it.

Ping pong originated in England


The true origins of ping pong are unknown, but most historians say that the game originated in Victorian England. Outdoor tennis courts in Great Britain were often damaged by heavy rain, so aristocrats preferred to play indoors. Initially, the salons used cigar box lids instead of rackets, and stacks of books acted as entrances.
There is also a theory that British soldiers invented ping pong in India or South Africa, and then brought their hobby back to their homeland.

Ping pong is the same as table tennis
Separate associations for ping pong and table tennis merged in England in 1901.

Ping-pong is especially popular in Asia.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the ping-pong craze swept across Central Europe. However, the game's success was short-lived. The fashionable hobby was soon forgotten, although the game later experienced a revival in England in the 1920s.
In 1926, it was created in Berlin International Association in table tennis. That same year, the first World Table Tennis Championships took place in London.
In Asia, the craze for the game began in the early 1950s. By the time the 1952 Ping Pong Championship was held in Mumbai, Asian players had already dominated the world stage.

The best ping pong player of all time is a Swede


Ping-pong was invented by the British, and the Chinese currently dominate this sport. However, the Swede Jan-Ove Waldner, who received the nickname “The Mozart of Table Tennis,” is officially recognized as the best player in the history of ping pong.

Return of popularity
Today, ping pong has a clear social focus. A variety of venues are springing up to host the game, with "ping pong bars" around the world competing with each other to be crowned the most "luxury table tennis resort".
According to the International Table Tennis Federation, about 300 million people play ping pong in the world.

Olympic sport


Ping pong has become official Olympic form sports in 1988 during the Summer Olympics in Seoul. Currently, competitions are held in several categories: men, women and teams.

Ping Pong Inspired Inventors


Daniel Thompson, inventor of the bagel machine, died in September 2015. Although he became famous for this culinary invention, Thompson also invented a folding ping pong table on wheels.

Quick game
Experienced athletes can send a ping pong ball through the net at speeds exceeding 160 km/h. In 1993, a world record was set when Jackie Bellinger and Lisa Lomas managed to throw a ball over the net 173 times in a minute.

Sports to burn calories
Ping pong is one of the best views sports to burn calories. Beginners can expect to burn 200 – 350 calories per hour of play, while experienced players can burn up to 500 calories per hour, depending on activity during the match.

Table tennis is becoming increasingly popular: ping-pong rackets are selling out like hot cakes, even preschoolers are learning to play, and any online sports store, in turn, offers a wide variety of products for this sport.

After this one was born desktop view sports, in the world ordinary tennis began to be called big tennis - in order to avoid confusion.

The history of the origin of table tennis is interesting. They say that one day some extravagant lover of this sport decided to set up a small court at home - right on the table. At first, such tennis was played with ordinary rackets and an ordinary heavy rubber ball. Soon, special rules were invented for the new game, and along with the rules, new accessories appeared.

Ping-pong rackets have become like miniature wooden spatulas, which are covered with pimply rubber pads on both sides. The ball also changed - it began to be made from celluloid, it became light - only 2.5 grams in weight.

Many people are wondering: why did table tennis come to be called ping pong? Perhaps the name simply echoes the sound of a celluloid ball hitting a table. Perhaps this name has something from Asian languages ​​- after all, it was in Asian countries that this game became most widespread. According to experts, there is some truth in both explanations. The name “ping pong” was born when the English players, listening to the sounds of a bouncing ball, decided that it made exactly that sound. Ping! - the ball sounds, bouncing off the racket, and pong! – bouncing off the table.
By the way, about the tennis table. If you decide to install tennis at home or at your dacha, then http://www.weekend-billiard.ru/catalog/tennis/ can be accessed by visiting the website /weekend-billiard.ru. This folding table is easy to transport and convenient to store.

Using rubber pads

For the first time, rackets were covered with rubber with pimples in 1902. This trick made it possible to hit curved balls. Sponge rubber appeared later - in 1930. Overlays made from such rubber diversified the game, allowing you to play both defensively and offensively.

The effect of table tennis on health

If you have not yet decided whether to use the services of an online sports store to purchase table tennis accessories, don’t hesitate! Ping pong is very interesting view a sport that has a very beneficial effect on the health of players. Regular training develops the hand, helps to concentrate, and has a positive effect on reaction and attention.

According to experts, table tennis activates mental activity. It was noticed that close observation of the ball and the desire to achieve good results- a sure way to achieve success in intellectual activities.

The Chinese are considered especially capable athletes. This phenomenon can most likely be explained by the enormous attention paid to this sport in this country. Here, ping-pong is taught almost from infancy. Six-year-old athletes participate in various competitions and amaze observers with their interesting techniques.

As you can see, table tennis has a lot of advantages, which means it’s time to start training!

Table tennis(another name for ping-pong) is a game based on the principle of throwing a ball with a racket over the net to the opponent’s side, while hitting it only once on its part (half of the table).

The game takes place on a table measuring 2.74 × 1.52 m (9 × 5 ft) and 76 cm (30 in) high.

The game is played between two players, or between two teams of two players.

Each play of the ball ends with the assignment of one point to one or another player (team). According to modern international rules, established in 2001, each game lasts up to 11 points.

A match consists of an odd number of games (usually five or seven). The decisive or last of the possible games can go up to 7 points if such are the rules of specific competitions (according to the rules in force in China and since December 7, 2015 in Russia.

Name " Ping pong" - came from a combination of two sounds: "ping" - the sound made by the ball when it hits the racket, and "pong" - when the ball bounces off the table.

Today, ping pong is called an “authentic” version of table tennis, where all players are on an equal footing, as they use the same sanded rackets (as was the case in the 40s and 50s of the 20th century).

engaged in the world - more than 260 million people!

First competitions

Key dates

  • 1921 - the first national table tennis federation was created in England;
  • 1926 - The International Table Tennis Federation was created;
  • 1926 - the first World Table Tennis Championships were held in London;
  • 1927 - exhibition games for a delegation of English workers were organized in the USSR;
  • 1952 - Japanese athlete Hiroji Sato first uses a racket with a rubber (sponge) coating and becomes world champion;
  • 1954 - the USSR Table Tennis Federation joins the International Table Tennis Federation;
  • 1969 - at the World Championships in Munich, USSR athletes won the first two gold medals - in a women's pair (Zoya Rudnova and Svetlana Fedorova-Grinberg) and in a team;
  • 1975 - at the World Championships in Calcutta, USSR athletes won their third gold medal- in a mixed pair (Stanislav Gomozkov and Tatyana Ferdman-Kutergina);
  • 1988 - At the Olympic Games in Seoul, table tennis becomes an Olympic sport.

Table tennis in works of fiction

  • « Ping Pong" is a 1986 British film.
  • « Ping-Pong Club" - anime from 1995.
  • "Ping pong" ( English ) - Japanese film based on the manga of the same name (2002).
  • "Ping Pong Playa" ( English ) - USA film (2007).
  • « Ping Pong" - British documentary film (2012).
  • « Ko-ri-a" - South Korean film (2012).
  • The heroes of the Soviet romantic comedy “The Most Charming and Attractive” play table tennis.
  • In the drama film "Forrest Gump" main character becomes the winner at the World Table Tennis Championships in China.
  • In the comedy Balls of Fury, the main character participates in a ping-pong tournament, where the losers are killed.
  • In episode 78 of Friends, Monica and Mike play table tennis.

And finally, something interesting:

In an interview with a journalist from Championat.com, the press secretary of the Russian Table Tennis Federation, Alexey Lomaev, named the main the reason for the success of Chinese athletes on the international stage:

I once also asked this question (what is the secret of the Chinese table tennis team) to one of the coaches of the Chinese national team, Kao Zhen. I asked without a second thought. And since this was not the first time we had talked with him, he answered me quite sincerely. He looked me in the eyes and said: “Okay, I’ll tell you.” And from that moment on, I know the secret of the Chinese team, and I will share it with the readers of Championship.com. The thing is that in China there is a state program for the development of sports, and table tennis in particular. But this happened with us in Soviet times! The plan for the development of table tennis, like any other sport, is very simple: it is necessary to spread networks throughout the country, and not only table tennis. We need to cover all schools, all courtyards, parks. Yes, we also need qualified coaching personnel who could see children inclined to this or that sport. Website "Championat.com", February 26, 2012

It is not known for certain how the word “tennis” appeared, but historians and linguists have several plausible options. For example, there is a possibility that previously 10 people played tennis, 5 people per team, and this is where the name came from, because in English “ten” means ten. Others claim that the name comes from the French word “tenez” - to hold.



Now let's talk about the most interesting facts from the world of ping pong:
1. Table tennis was invented after the advent of tennis. The playing field was moved to the table, rackets and balls were reduced in size.



2. Historians do not have reliable facts about the place where table tennis appeared. Various historical documents point to several countries, namely China, India and the United States.

3. Initially, this sport was called table tennis, and only in the 20th century it began to be called ping pong.

4. First major competition between professionals took place in 1900. About three hundred players from all over the world came to the competition in the capital of Great Britain.

5. There is a special type of tennis tables - all-weather. To create them, moisture-resistant and all-weather materials are used - an excellent option for active recreation in the country or on the site of your home, and purchasing is quite easy; for this you need to go to the website ukrbilliard.com.ua and order the desired model.

6. In 1936, at a competition in Prague, a world record was set for the duration of a point. The two athletes exchanged blows without a break for two hours.

7. In 1983, a record-breaking game was recorded; it lasted for 143 hours and 46 minutes.

8. During the game, the ball can accelerate to 170 km/h.

9. It would seem that in table tennis The playing space is very small, but despite this, the player can “run” about 7 kilometers during a match.

10. Numerous studies and tests have shown that ping pong fans have excellent reactions, and the process of playing itself strengthens cardiovascular system athlete.

11. Previously, when there were no celluloid balls familiar to everyone, athletes used an ordinary champagne cork, throwing it with rackets over a stretched net.

12. The most famous “top spin” shot, which definitely added fans and entertainment to ping pong, appeared only in 1959.

13. Since 1988, this sport has been included in the list of the Olympic Games.

14. Numerous studies have proven that playing ping-pong is more energy-consuming than volleyball and many other outdoor sports.
Table tennis was loved by many prominent historical figures such as Fidel Castro, Ronald Reagan and Mao Zedong.

15. Ping pong is very quick game– players deliver up to 150 blows per minute.

Of course, over the course of its existence, ping pong has changed beyond recognition. Now there are special companies that manufacture gaming tables, balls, rackets, sports uniform. The Kuka company is one of the most famous in the world of table tennis. An interesting fact is that to open their branch in China, they invited the legendary athlete Timo Boyle and invited him to play with the robot KR Agilus, the game turned out to be very spectacular, its recordings can be found on YouTube.

Table tennis is becoming increasingly popular: ping-pong rackets are selling out like hot cakes, even preschoolers are learning to play, and any online sports store, in turn, offers a wide variety of products for this sport.

After this table sport was born, the world began to call ordinary tennis tennis - to avoid confusion.

The history of the origin of table tennis is interesting. They say that one day some extravagant lover of this sport decided to set up a small court at home - right on the table. At first, such tennis was played with ordinary rackets and an ordinary heavy rubber ball. Soon, special rules were invented for the new game, and along with the rules, new accessories appeared.

Ping-pong rackets have become like miniature wooden spatulas, which are covered with pimply rubber pads on both sides. The ball also changed - it began to be made from celluloid, it became light - only 2.5 grams in weight.

Many people are wondering: why did table tennis come to be called ping pong? Perhaps the name simply echoes the sound of a celluloid ball hitting a table. Perhaps this name has something from Asian languages ​​- after all, it was in Asian countries that this game became most widespread. According to experts, there is some truth in both explanations. The name “ping pong” was born when the English players, listening to the sounds of a bouncing ball, decided that it made exactly that sound. Ping! - the ball sounds, bouncing off the racket, and pong! – bouncing off the table.

Using rubber pads

For the first time, rackets were covered with rubber with pimples in 1902. This trick made it possible to hit curved balls. Sponge rubber appeared later - in 1930. Overlays made from such rubber diversified the game, allowing you to play both defensively and offensively.

The effect of table tennis on health

If you have not yet decided whether to use the services of an online sports store to purchase table tennis accessories, don’t hesitate! Ping-pong is a very interesting sport that has a very beneficial effect on the health of players. Regular training develops the hand, helps to concentrate, and has a positive effect on reaction and attention.

According to experts, table tennis activates mental activity. It has been observed that close observation of the ball and the desire to achieve good results is a sure way to achieve success in intellectual activities.

The Chinese are considered especially capable athletes. This phenomenon can most likely be explained by the enormous attention paid to this sport in this country. Here, ping-pong is taught almost from infancy. Six-year-old athletes participate in various competitions and amaze observers with their interesting techniques.

As you can see, table tennis has a lot of advantages, which means it’s time to start training!

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