Table Tennis is popular racquet based sport, where you need to sharply work on your reflexes and striking skill with paddle in order to make this entity extremely popular.
5. Ping Pong Diplomacy:
When China invited England, the United States, Canada, and Columbia in 1971, they shocked the world with their ping pong diplomacy.
The “Ping Pong Diplomacy” moment, in which China established contact with the other teams, will be followed by a series of friendly matches.
4. Introduced in Olympics 1988:
Table tennis made its debut in the 1998 Seoul Olympics, where it was separated into men’s and women’s singles and doubles divisions from 1988 to 2004.
Since 2008, the doubles category has been replaced with a team event.
3. Table Tennis game was initially played for 21 points each system:
The game of table tennis was played for 21 points each, and it currently has 11 points each.
Even though table tennis is a fast-paced game that can be broken down into different categories, it still requires more promotion to advance to the next level.
2. Table Tennis Court and Ball Requirements:
The necessary measurements for a modern table tennis table are 2.74 meters (9 feet long), 1.5 meters (5 feet wide), and 76 centimeters (2.5 feet high).
The ball is unquestionably 40 mm in diameter, and the net is 15.25 meters (6 inches) high.
1. More than 1600 Varieties in Table Tennis Rubbers:
Participants may use authorized rackets to compete in table tennis tournaments.
It’s interesting to note that over 1600 different types of table tennis rubbers are listed as authorized.
My Perspective:
Over the past ten years, Indian table tennis has experienced impressive growth in terms of both funding and performance. In India, table tennis has changed from being viewed as a niche sport with little funding to becoming a more organized and lucrative sport that draws corporate sponsorships and investments. A major factor in this change has been the emergence of professional leagues and the ascent of Indian athletes on the global scene.
The growing corporate interest in table tennis is the main factor propelling the sport’s commercial expansion in India. In Indian table tennis, sponsorship has increased by an estimated 30–40% over the last five years, indicating increased market potential and brand awareness. Businesses like the 2017-launched Indian professional table tennis league Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) have attracted significant sponsorships from companies like GoSports Foundation, Stag, and Indian Oil. Additionally, the league has drawn investors hoping to profit from India’s expanding sports industry.
Private businesses have also stepped in to help emerging talent by providing financial aid, training programs, and sponsorships. The sport’s funding and visibility have increased as a result of the endorsements that prominent Indian paddlers like Manika Batra, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, and Sharath Kamal have obtained from corporate houses and sports clothing companies.
Prize money in both domestic and international competitions has increased as a result of the increase in sponsorship. Just the Ultimate Table Tennis league has given players exposure and financial stability, increasing the sport’s appeal to young athletes. Due in large part to rising viewership and digital engagement, the total sponsorship revenue in the Indian table tennis ecosystem has increased by almost 50% over the past ten years.
Elite athletes now have even more financial support thanks to government programs like the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and private sponsorship. In order to guarantee steady funding for the sport, the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has also stepped up its efforts to obtain sponsorships for both international and national competitions.
