MAIN Recreation Sports Table Tennis

First begun as a fun, social activity ping pong was first popularized in 19th century England from which the table tennis craze spread throughout Europe.

Japan also introduced a game very similar to ping pong that was afterwards introduced to China. Today, table tennis remains one of the most popular pasttimes worldwide - requiring only a paddle, a table, and ping pong ball to play.

Although it endures as a favorite family room pasttime, table tennis is also considered a "pure" sport that prohibits all manner of technological advancements under strict rules laid down by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), as well as by the Olympic committee after Olympic table tennis was introduced to the world games in 1988.

Whether you play professionally, in the backyard or basement rec room, check out the facts, rules, equipment guides, along with fun facts, history, and trivia associated with the game....

More about ping pong around the Web:

PongWorld - Join the big online community of table tennis fans worldwide featuring a very active messageboard, tips and tricks, news articles, equipment reviews along with a Country in Focus feature spotlighting the sport in a particular country.

Denis' Table Tennis World - Billed as "The ultimate table tennis guide", this fan site isn't far off the mark with extensive multimedia including movies and video clips, photo galleries, forum, feature articles, equipment ratings, rules of the game, tips and exercises, suggested reading, FAQ, related links and an online shop.

Table Tennis / Ping Pong | megaspin.net - Check ou this fun, user-friendly site featuring video clips and online games, news articles and monthly updates on world rankings, official rules, forum, free newsletter.

USA Table Tennis - Rules of the Game - Learn the official laws and regulations including equipment regulations, behavior unbecoming, wheelchair and disability rules, and for laughs check out the Unofficial Basement Rules of the Game.

The Sport of Table Tennis - A ThinkQuest project and one of their best with a complete beginner's guide including the different strokes to tips on selecting and maintaining equipment, FAQ, glossary of terms, discussion board, and a good collection of ping pong trivia with Table Tennis Facts.