Table Tennis

Table tennis began as a Victorian after-dinner amusement — lawn tennis miniaturized onto the dining table, with cigar-box lids for bats and rounded champagne corks or celluloid balls. Equipment makers sold sets under names like 'Ping-Pong', a trademark that led the independent sport to adopt the name table tennis. The International Table Tennis Federation formed in 1926 and held the first world championships that year in London.

1. 1926

   The ITTF and the first worlds

   The International Table Tennis Federation unified the laws and staged the first World Championships, turning the parlor game into an international sport.

2. 1930s

   Ending the endless rally

   After defensive pushing produced marathon points — including a single rally at the 1936 worlds lasting over two hours — the ITTF lowered the net and introduced time-limit rules to force attacking play.

3. 1952

   The sponge revolution

   Hiroji Satoh won the world title using thick sponge rubber, unleashing speed and spin that transformed technique; the ITTF later standardized racket coverings in response.

4. 1988

   Olympic debut

   Table tennis joined the Olympic program in Seoul, where it has since been dominated overwhelmingly by China.

5. 2000

   The bigger ball

   The ball grew from 38mm to 40mm to slow play and lengthen rallies for television — the first of several spectator-driven reforms.

6. 2001

   Games to 11

   Games shrank from 21 points to 11 with service alternating every two points, and hiding the ball during service was banned shortly after — all to make the sport more watchable.