Cigar boxes as racquets, children’s rubber balls couched in knitted fabric and a dining table demarcated into two halves by a row of books. The scene was set for the birth of a game, which is now very popular. The dining table is where the game was played in its infancy. It was probably an invention of lawn tennis players forced indoors by the elements. We are all familiar with it now as table tennis and must have played it at some time or the other if not on a proper table tennis table then at a dining table. 

Today’s equipment
Now the game is played on a standard table measuring nine feet by five feet, standing at a prescribed height of 76 centimeters above the floor. For international tournaments the tables must be made to certain specifications. The table top is tested for resiliency by dropping a tennis ball on to it from a certain height. The ball should be able to rebound to a specified height for the table to be judged as standard. A six-inch high net divides the table into two opposing courts. For the purpose of playing doubles a white line is drawn down the centre of the table. The ball used for playing table tennis is made of celluloid and as many of us have discovered upon breaking one, it is hollow. The racquets are made of wood, oval in shape and may have an outer surface of sponge or rubber.

Rules for today’s game
Table tennis can be played either by two players as a singles’ match or by four players as a doubles match, though the two games are different from each other in many aspects. The first time the ball is hit is called the serve and for this the player throws the ball up in the air and hits it as it falls. Scores are notched up as and when any of the players fail to hit a ball or the hit falls wrongly. The player to score 21 points first wins. Serves and sides of the table are changed at regular intervals. As for any other game of international repute here too an umpire has the final say on the scores and scoring. 
 

The hits and bounces through history
Though a few differing opinions do exist, it is generally agreed that table tennis has its origins in England. English dining tables to be more precise! In 1891, one Mr. James Gibb along with a sports manufacturing company had the name of “Gossimar” registered. The name was probably derived from the word “gossamer” denoting the lightness of the game. No known Gossimar sets were ever produced but the game continued to be played in improvised settings. Small knitted balls were used so as to minimize damage to furniture. Development came in the form of India rubber balls, which soon gave way to the better performing celluloid balls.

The game has had its ups and downs. It enjoyed immense popularity in the early 1900s and then abruptly faded from public view. In the mid-1920s it started making a comeback in both the US and in England. Early names of the game are Gossimar, Whiff-whaff and of course Ping-Pong. Ping Pong was in fact a patented trade name. 

The year 1926 witnessed the formation of the International Table Tennis Federation. The Federation now has around 140 member nations and many international tournaments are held all over the world under its aegis. For a long time, Chinese players walked away with the honors, with a break in the pattern being brought in by the Japanese and Hungarians and Swedes from time to time. The year 1980 ushered in a new era for table tennis, with the game being introduced in the Olympic Games.