18 Mar 2008

TABLE TENNIS: Trivia!!

The other day my search, across the alleys of an intriguing maze called the internet, led me to ‘discover’ some interesting facts of an equally interesting sport called Table Tennis (a sport that I used to excel in back in my school days). I felt a deep urge in me to share them with u though I usually resist from making such posts (this time probably my nostalgia got an upper hand)...

Ø In the early 1970s the People's Republic of China(PRC) invited American table tennis players to a tournament in the PRC. This marked a thawing in relations with the United States that was followed up by a visit by U.S. president Richard Nixon. The popular media therefore dubbed this visit "Ping Pong Diplomacy".
Ø Multi-talented sportsman Maxwell Woosnam, an Olympic and Wimbledon champion at lawn tennis and one-time captain of the England national football team, once defeated actor and film director Charlie Chaplin at table tennis while playing with a butter knife instead of a racket.
Ø At the 1936 World Championships contested in Prague, two defensive players took over an hour to contest one point.
Ø Table tennis inspired the first commercially successful video game, Pong. In 2007, Rock star games made one of the first true simulation by releasing Rock star Games presents Table Tennis
Ø Soviet rule once banned the sport because it was seen as carrying significant risk of eye damage.
Ø Certain world-class players can impart spin approaching 9000 RPM on table tennis balls.
Ø More than 30 table tennis companies exist around the world, making a full line of accessories from rackets to warm-up suits.
Ø A man in Hawaii has invented a three-player table for table tennis, calling it "Tri-Pong"

P.S. - if u happen to find this post of not much interest or rather boring pleeeeese ignore it and forgive me for trying to push the burden of my nostalgia on u...

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Amazing facts!! Never knew all this stuff about table tennis. I also like playing table tennis and like you excelled in it during my school days.

Avinash said...

awesome facts!!

you have collected facts from the corners of table tenis board.

Wang Okram said...

just checked max woosnam.. truely a man of sporting spirit.. I have become a fan.. thanks for the info.. it was a good post

Anonymous said...

It was rather interesting for me to read this post. Thanx for it. I like such topics and anything connected to them. I would like to read a bit more soon.

Julia Simpson

Anonymous said...

I was recommended this blog by my cousin. I'm not sure whether this post is
written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my problem.
You are wonderful! Thanks!

Derwick