The high speed power game of Olympic table tennis is not the friendly game of ping pong you probably play at home.
The lightening quick volleys and the seemingly miraculous eye-hand coordination it takes to compete internationally requires a level of sophistication that amateur players can only hope to achieve after rigorous years of practice.
With the sport's wide popularity today, it is surprising to discover that table tennis only became a recognized Olympic event during the Seoul Games in 1988. Since then, it has amassed a worldwide TV audience of millions - especially in Asia, where most of the world's top players are based.
2012 Olympic table tennis fast facts
Venue: ExCel Dates: July 28 – August 7, 2012 Gold medals in contention: 4 Athletes in competition: 172
Around the Web, find out more about the lightning fast, action-packed sport of Olympic table tennis at top sites offering more facts, information, updates, pictures, and video reports as the 2012 Summer Games draw near...
More information on Olympic table tennis around the Web:
International Olympic Committee - Table Tennis - The history of the sport, technical details and more about how to play table tennis from the home of the Olympics movement. Check the players profiles on the right hand side for the names to watch for during the games.
USA Table Tennis - The home site of the US national governing body for the Olympic sport of table tennis in the United States.
BBC Olympics - Table Tennis - News & updates on major teams, star athlete profiles, with related articles on the history and technical details.
NBC Olympics - Table Tennis - Complete U.S. TV schedule, feature stories & interviews, photos & video, fan forum.
Denis' Table Tennis World - This site is by a Greek fan of table tennis with no official connections. Good information on the sport - and the Olympics - at one of the better table tennis fan sites online. In English and Greek.