Table tennis is a racket sport derived from tennis but distinguished by its playing surface being atop a stationary table, rather than the court on which players stand. Either individually or in teams of two, players take alternating turns returning a light, hollow ball over the table's net onto the opposing half of the court using small rackets until they fail to do so, which results in a point for the opponent. Play is fast, requiring quick reaction and constant attention, and is characterized by an emphasis on spin, which can affect the ball's trajectory more than in other ball sports.
Jan-Ove Waldner, in Sweden commonly J-O Waldner, is a Swedish former professional table tennis player. He is often referred to as "the Mozart of table tennis." A sporting legend in his native Sweden as well as in China, he is known in China as 老瓦 Lǎo Wǎ or 常青树 Cháng Qīng Shù, because of his extraordinary longevity and competitiveness.
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is the governing body for all national table tennis associations that use ITTF-approved sponge table tennis rackets. The role of the ITTF includes overseeing rules and regulations and seeking technological improvement for the sport of table tennis. The ITTF is responsible for the organization of numerous international competitions, including the World Table Tennis Championships.
Jörgen Persson is a Swedish table tennis player.
Guo Yue is a Chinese table tennis player and the 2007 women's world champion.
Wang Hao is a retired Chinese table tennis player and multiple-time Olympic medallist. He is the current head coach of the Chinese Men's Table Tennis Team.
The 1958 Asian Games, officially the Third Asian Games and commonly known as Tokyo 1958, was a multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan, from 24 May to 1 June 1958. It was governed by the Asian Games Federation. A total of 1,820 athletes representing 20 Asian National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in the Games. The program featured competitions in 13 different sports encompassing 97 events, including four non-Olympic sports, judo, table tennis, tennis and volleyball. Four of these competition sports – field hockey, table tennis, tennis and volleyball – were introduced for the first time in the Asian Games.
Wang Nan is a female Chinese table tennis player from Liaoning. Wang was ranked world #1 on the ITTF ranking system from January 1999 to November 2002. She is left-handed, and began playing table tennis when she was seven years old. Her particular skills are changing the placement of the ball during rallies and her loop drive, as well as her notable speed. Wang has been the leader of the women's table-tennis team of China after Deng Yaping's retirement. In terms of achievements, she is one of the most successful female table tennis players having won the gold medal in each of the Table Tennis World Cup, the Table Tennis World Championships, and the Olympic Games.
Viktor Győző Barna was a Hungarian and British champion table tennis player as well as a record five times singles World Champion.
The World Table Tennis Championships are table tennis competitions sanctioned by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). The World Championships have been held since 1926, biennially since 1957. Five individual events, which include men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's double and mixed doubles, are currently held in odd numbered years. The World Team Table Tennis Championships, which include men's team and women's team events, were first their own competition in 2000. The Team Championships are held in even numbered years.
Paralympic table tennis has been competed at every Summer Paralympic Games since they were first held in 1960. Men and women compete in singles and team events in ten different classes according to the extent of their disability. Table tennis would later make its debut at the Summer Olympic Games in 1988.
Hyun Jung-hwa is a retired table tennis player from South Korea who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics, and in the 1992 Summer Olympics.
The European Table Tennis Championships is an international table tennis competition for the national teams of the member associations of the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU). First held in 1958, the ETTU organised the European Championships every two years in even-numbered years until 2002, when they changed to odd-numbered years. Since 2007, the competition has been contested annually.
The Asian Table Tennis Championships is a biennial table tennis tournament that the International Table Tennis Federation regards as a continental championship. From 1952 to 1972, the tournament was organized by the Table Tennis Federation of Asia. The Asian Table Tennis Union started its own Asian Championships due to a split between national table tennis associations in Asia.
Cao Yanhua also Tsao Yen-hua is a Chinese former international table tennis player.
Guo Yuehua is a former Chinese table tennis player.
Mitsuru Kohno is a former international table tennis player from Japan.
Jiang Jialiang is a male former international table tennis player from China. He competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Table tennis at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio took place in September 2016. 276 athletes – 174 men and 102 women – are scheduled to compete in 29 events. Table tennis events have been held at the Paralympics since the first Games in Rome in 1960. Team events will feature contests consisting of one doubles and two singles matches.
The 2024 World Team Table Tennis Championships were held in Busan, South Korea from 16 to 25 February 2024. Quarterfinalists of the event qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Liqin Wang (CHN)
Chuan Chin-yuan (TPE)
South Korea (KOR)
Japan (JPN)
Egypt (EGY)
North Korea (PRK)
Belarus (BLR)