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, 2007 World Champion]] Table tennis is a Sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball back and forth to each other with bats (also sometimes called racquets or paddles). The game takes place on a table divided by a net. Players must allow a ball played towards them only one bounce on their side of the table and must return it so that it bounces on the opponent's side. If the ball doesn't land on the opponent's side then it's a dead ball unless the other opponent hits the ball with their bat. Play is fast and demands quick reactions. A skilled player can impart spin to the ball, which makes its bounce and its reaction on the opponent's bat difficult to predict or return with confidence. Table tennis is very popular, especially in '', 14 August , 2004 . and is among the most popular Sport s in the world in terms of player numbers, The World's Most Popular Sports as well as one of the newest of the major sports. History of table tennis from the Table Tennis Museum of the International Table Tennis Federation
GENERAL DESCRIPTION Table tennis is a Sport where two or four players hit a ball with paddles back and forth to each other on a table, in a manner similar to Tennis . The rules are slightly different, but the concept is quite similar. In singles play, the ball is not required to cross from the server's right-hand court to the receiver's right-hand court (or left to left) as it is in Tennis . However, serving across is required in doubles play. Ball spin, speed, placement, strategy and tactics play an important part in competitive table tennis matches. The speed of the ball can vary from slow serves with much spin to smashes that travel as fast as 112.5 Kilometers Per Hour (70 Miles Per Hour ). Speed of ball article from the International Table Tennis Federation The game is played on a 274 cm (9 ft.) × 152.5 cm (5 ft.) × 76 cm (2.5 ft.) high playing surface. The International Table Tennis Federation requires an area not less than 14 m (46 ft) long, 7 m (23 ft) wide and 5 m (16 ft) high for competitions. No limitations in size or shape are specified. Modern paddles usually have a thin layer of Rubber covering the paddle's striking surface. The rubber may have pimples pointing outwards or inwards, as well as a thin layer of sponge between the plywood center and the rubber surface. Since spin plays a large role in the modern sport of table tennis, the composition of the rubber and the combination of sponge and rubber is designed to maximize the amount of spin and speed a player can impart onto the ball. Other technological improvements include the use of carbon or other synthetic layers as part of the blade to increase the size of the sweet spot or the stiffness of the blade. The ball used in table tennis has a diameter of 40 mm, is made of Celluloid , and is completely hollow. A three star rating on a ball usually implies a top quality ball, in relation to its bounce, roundness and their respective consistency between balls of the same make and type. The winner is the first to score 11 points, with each player alternating serves every two points. At 10-10 (or deuce) the players alternate with every serve; the winner is then the first person to gain a clear two points advantage over his opponent. The 11 point game is an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) change which occurred in 2001. All games played at national level and at international tournaments ( ITTF ) are played to 11 points in either a best of five (5) games (preliminaries) or best of seven (7) games format (championship matches). HISTORY ]] The game has its origins in England as an after-dinner amusement for upper-class Victorians in the 1880s . Mimicking the game of Tennis in an indoor environment, everyday objects were originally enlisted to act as the equipment. A line of books would be the net, a rounded top of a Champagne cork or knot of string as the ball, and a cigar box lid as the bat. The popularity of the game led game manufacturers to sell the equipment commercially. Early bats were often pieces of Parchment stretched upon a frame, and the sound generated in play gave the game its first nicknames of ''"whiff-whaff"'' and ''"Ping-pong."'' A number of sources indicate that the game was first brought to the attention of Hamley's Of Regent Street under the name "Gossima". The name "ping-pong" was in wide use before English manufacturer J. Jaques & Son Ltd Trademark ed it in 1901 . The name "Ping-Pong" then came to be used for the game played by the rather expensive Jaques equipment, with other manufacturers calling theirs table tennis. A similar situation came to exist in the United States where Jaques sold the rights to the "Ping-Pong" name to Parker Brothers . The next major innovation was by James Gibb, University of Florida table tennis history project an English enthusiast of the game, who discovered novelty Celluloid balls on a trip to the U.S. in 1901 and found them to be the ideal balls for the game. This was followed by E.C. Goode who in 1903 invented the modern version of the bat by fixing a sheet of pimpled, or stippled, Rubber to the wooden blade. Table tennis was growing in popularity by 1901 when table tennis tournaments were being organized, books on table tennis were being written, and an unofficial world championship was held in 1902. During the early 20th century the game was banned in Russia due to a belief that was held by the rulers at the time that playing the game had an adverse effect on players' eyesight. In 1921, the Table Tennis Association was founded in England, and the International Table Tennis Federation followed in 1926. London hosted the first official world championship in 1927. Table tennis was introduced as an Olympic sport at the Olympics In 1988 . In the 1950s bats that used a rubber sheet combined with a underlaying sponge layer changed the game dramatically, introducing greater spin and speed. These were introduced to England by the sports goods manufacturers S.W. Hancock Ltd. and the Hancock bat gave Johnny Leach the edge when he became World Champion in 1949. The use of Speed Glue increased the spin and speed even further, resulting in changes to the equipment to "slow the game down." Toward the end of 2000, the ITTF instituted several rules changes aimed at making table tennis more viable as a televised spectator sport. First, the older 38 mm balls were officially replaced by 40 mm balls. This increased the ball's air resistance and effectively slowed down the game. By that time, players had begun increasing the thickness of the fast Sponge layer on their bats, which made the game excessively fast, and difficult to watch on television. Secondly, the ITTF changed from a 21 to an 11 point scoring system. This was intended to make games more fast-paced and exciting. The ITTF also changed the rules on service to prevent a player from hiding the ball during service, in order to increase the average length of rallies and to reduce the server's advantage. Variants of the sport have emerged. "Large-ball" table tennis uses a 44 mm ball which slows down the game significantly. This has seen some acceptance by players who have a hard time with the extreme spins and speeds of the 40 mm game. The ball's mass is 2.47 grams. There is a move towards reviving the table tennis game that existed prior to the introduction of sponge rubber. Classic table tennis or " Hardbat " table tennis players reject the speed and spin of reversed sponge rubber, preferring the 1940-60s style of no-sponge, short pimpled rubber of play which makes defense less difficult by decreasing the speed and eliminating any meaningful Magnus Effect of spin. Because hardbat killer shots are almost impossible to hit against a skilled player, hardbat matches focus on the strategic side of table tennis, requiring skillful maneuvering of the opponent before an attack can be successful. EQUIPMENT The ball The international rules specify that the game is played with a light 2.7 finish. The choice of ball color is made according to the table color and its surroundings. For example, a white ball is easier to see on a green or blue table than it is on a grey table. A star on the ball indicates the quality of the ball. 3 stars is the highest indicating that it is of the highest quality. The table The table is 2.74 m (9 ft) long, 1.525 m (5 feet) wide, and 76 cm (30 inches) high with a Masonite or similarly manufactured timber, layered with a smooth, low- Friction coating. The table or playing surface is divided into two halves by a 15.25 cm (6 inch) high net. Table tennis ball regulations at sizes.com The Paddle Players are equipped with a paddle composed of a wooden blade covered with rubber on one or two sides depending on the grip of the player. Table tennis regulations allow different surfaces on each side of the paddle. The different types of surfaces provide various levels of spin or speed, or in some cases, nullifies spin. For example, a player may have a rubber that provides much spin on one side of his paddle, and no spin on the other side of the paddle. By flipping the paddle in play, different types of returns are possible. To help a player distinguish between different types of rubber used by his opposing player, international rules specify that one side must be red while the other side must be black. The player has the right to inspect his opponent's paddle before a match to see the type of rubber used and what color it is. Despite high speed play and rapid exchanges, a player can see clearly what side of the paddle was used to hit the ball. Recent years have seen an advancement in technology of table tennis blades. Materials of different properties may be combined with the wood in the blade to enhance its playing performance. Many blades today feature one or more carbon layers within them to enhance their ' Sweet Spot ', and to give the player a greater margin of error when playing powerful shots. Materials incorporated into table tennis blades today include Titanium , Acrylate , Aramids , and Aluminium . The rubber coating may be of Pimpled Rubber , with the pimples outward, or it may be a rubber that is composed of two materials, a sponge layer, covered by a pimpled rubber, with the pimples pointed inwards or outwards. Some paddles are not covered with rubber at all, because a "naked" paddle is believed to be more resistant to a spin. However, it is illegal to use these types of paddles in competition as they are not approved by the ITTF. Some types of rubbers are also not approved. Approved rubbers have the ITTF emblem on the base of the rubber. Table tennis racket regulations at sizes.com Players have many choices and variations in rubber sheets on their paddle. Although paddles may be purchased with rubber by the manufacturer, most serious tournament players will create a customized paddle. A player selects a blank blade (i.e. a paddle without rubber), based on his playing style. The type of wood and synthetic layers used to make up the blade will provide a slower or faster blade. The player can choose from different types of rubber sheets which will provide a certain level of spin, speed and specific playing characteristics. Normally, a sheet of rubber is glued to a blade using rubber cement and not removed until the rubber wears out or becomes damaged. In the 1980s, a new technique was developed where the player would use a special glue called Speed Glue to apply the rubber every time he played. The glue would help provide more spin and speed by providing a " Catapult " effect. This technique is known as "regluing" and has become a standard technique for top players. The surface of a paddle will develop a smooth glossy patina with use. The blade surface needs to be regularly cleaned to ensure it retains a high friction surface to impart spin to the ball. Players use a commercial cleaner, or just water and detergent as cleaning agents. 1 Paddle construction and new rubber technology (skilled elite players typically select and attach the rubber to their own paddles and glue them before every match) contribute significantly to the amount of deviation from the expected ball flight path. The fairly recent development of speed glue speeds up the departure of the ball from the rubber considerably, though at the cost of some ball control. ;Different types of rubber sheets:
GAME PLAY Starting a game In top-flight competition, service is decided by a Coin Toss . At lower levels it is common for one player (or the umpire/scorer) to hide the ball in one or the other hand (usually hidden under the table), allowing the other player to guess which hand the ball is in. The correct or incorrect guess gives the "winner" the option to choose to serve, or to choose which side of the table to use. In recreational games, the players may have a rally for a minimum set number of 10 hits, after which the rally is played out, with the winner either choosing to serve or choosing the table side. Others use the "P-O-N-G" or "P-I-N-G" method rallying back and forth spelling a letter of P-O-N-G or P-I-N-G after every hit. After P-O-N-G or P-I-N-G is spelled the person to win the rally also wins the serve. Service In game play, the player serving the ball commences a point. Standing behind the end of the table, with the ball in the palm of one hand - over the table's height - and the paddle in the other, the server tosses the ball without spin, upward, at least sixteen centimeters (approximately 6 inches). He or she then must hit the ball such that it bounces once on his or her half of the table, and then bounces at least one time on the opponent's half. If the ball strikes the net but does not strike the opponent's half of the table, then a point is awarded to the opponent. However, if the ball hits the net, but nevertheless goes over and bounces on the other side, it is called a let (or net-in). Play stops, and the ball must be served again with no penalty. Unlike the old service rules, where a player may only commit three lets, now a player may commit any number of lets without penalty. If the service is "good", then the opponent must then make a "good" return — by returning the ball before it bounces on his or her side of the table a second time. Returning the serve is one of the most difficult parts of the game, as the server's first move is often the least predictable. Hitting the Ball Any hitting of the ball must be done such that the ball passes over or around the net. If the ball is struck such that it travels around the net, but still lands on the opponent's side of the table, the hit is legal and play should be continued. If the opponent cannot return it over (or around) the net and make it bounce on your side, then you win the point. Scoring Points are awarded to the opponent for any of several errors in play: The Laws of Table Tennis at the ITTF. Accessed July 2007 (pdf)
Alternation of service Service alternates between opponents every two points (regardless of winner of the rally) until a player reaches 11 points with at least a two-point lead, or until both players have 10 points a piece. If both players reach 10 points, then service alternates after each point, until one player gains a two-point advantage. In doubles, service alternates every two points between sides, but also rotates between players on the same team. At the end of every two points, the receiving player becomes the server, and the partner of the serving player becomes the receiver. In the older 21-point game system, service would alternate every 5 points. If both players reached a score of 20, then service would alternate each point until one player gains a two-point advantage. When a match point occurs the server is allowed three attempts at serving and 2 lets before he loses the point. Series of games After each game, players switch sides of the table and in the fifth or seventh, game "for the match", players switch sides when the first player scores 5 points, regardless of whose turn it is to serve. In competition play, matches are typically best of five or seven games. Recreational variations Some recreational players may choose to use a volleyball style system of scoring and play. Such variations include, but are not limited to, allowing the let serve, not requiring the server to hit the ball on his half of the table first (but still allowing it), allowing the volleying of returns, and relaxing other small rules in doubles to make the game easier to play. Common recreational scoring styles include best-of-three-game Side Out scoring to 15, 21, 25, or 30 points per game with a third game being played Rally Style to 15; best-of-five-game rally style play with each game, save the fifth (to 15), played to 30 points; and traditional Tennis Scoring . Doubles game In addition to games between individual players, pairs may also play table tennis. In doubles, all the rules of single play apply except for the following. A line painted along the long axis of the table to create doubles courts bisects the table. This line's only purpose is to facilitate the doubles service rule, which is that service, must originate from the right hand "box" in such a way that the first bounce of the serve bounces once in said right hand box and then must bounce at least once in the opponent side's right hand box (far left box for server). Play then continues normally with the exception that players must alternate hitting the ball. For example, after a player serves the receiving player make his or her return, the server's partner returns the ball and then the service receiver's partner would play the ball. In wheelchair doubles side. The point proceeds this way until one side fails to make a legal return and the point is then awarded to the other team. Also, when the game reaches the final set, the teams must switch side and the team that receives the service must switch receiver when one of the teams reach 5 points. Singles and doubles are both played in international competition, including the Olympic Games since 1988 and the Commonwealth Games since 2002. In 2005, the ITTF has announced that doubles table tennis will only be featured as a part of teams events in the 2008 Olympics. STYLES OF PLAY See Also: Table tennis styles Grip Competitive table tennis players grip their bats in a variety of ways. The manner in which competitive players grip their bats can be classified into two major families of styles. One is described as ''penhold'', and the other ''shakehand''. The Laws of Table Tennis do not prescribe the manner in which one must grip the bat, and numerous variations on gripping styles exist. > ;Penhold :The penhold grip is so-named because one grips the bat similarly to the way one holds a Writing Instrument . The style of play among penhold players can vary greatly from player to player. The style, usually referred to as the Chinese penhold style, involves curling the middle, ring, and fourth finger back. In contrast, another style, sometimes referred to as the Japan ese penhold, involves splaying those three fingers out across the back of the bat. Penhold styles are popular among players originating from Asia n nations such as China , Taiwan , Japan , and South Korea . Traditionally, penhold players use only one side of the bat to hit the ball during normal play. The side which is in contact with the last three fingers is generally not used. However, the Chinese have developed a new technique in which a penholder utilizes both sides of the bat. This is referred to as the ''reverse penhold backhand'' (RPB). ; Shakehand :The shakehand grip is so-named because one grips the bat similarly to the way one performs a handshake. The grip is sometimes colloquially referred to as a "tennis grip" or a "Western grip." The shakehand grip is most popular among players originating in Western nations. Today, though, there are many Asian players using the shakehand grip. ;Unusual grips> :; V-grip: An experimental style being developed in China , it is held by forming a "V for victory" sign and gripping the blade between the forefinger and middle finger, whilst having the other fingers rest under and on top of the handle; it requires a modified blade to grip successfully. A noticeable spin benefit is noticed due to the longer lever and mechanics utilized in the forehand and backhand (much like those found in the Western grip in tennis). :; Seemiller grip: A grip that was made famous by Danny Seemiller, an American champion. This grip is a variation of the shakehand grip. In this grip, the forefinger and thumb are placed on the same side of the bat, which allows the backhand and forehand shots to use the same side of the rubber. This grip also has the nickname "windshield wiper" due to the motion of the backhand and forehand. Types of shots In table tennis, the strokes break down into generally offensive (producing Topspin ) and defensive (producing Backspin ). Spin exceptions are the smash, block, and lob. The types of strokes include backhand and forehand. Offensive strokes ; Speed drive : In table tennis it is not similar to strokes from racket sports like tennis. The bat is primarily ''perpendicular'' to the direction of the stroke, and most of the energy applied to the ball results in ''speed'' rather than ''spin'', creating a shot that does not arc much, but is fast enough that it can be difficult to return. A speed drive is used mostly for keeping the ball in play, applying pressure on the opponent and potentially opening up an opportunity for a more powerful attack. ; Loop drive : It is essentially the reverse of the speed drive. The bat is much more ''parallel'' to the direction of the stroke ("closed") and the bat thus ''grazes'' the ball, resulting in a large amount of topspin. A good loop drive will arc quite a bit, and once striking the opponent's side of the table will jump forward, much like a kick serve in tennis. A loop drive is dangerous because of its topspin — while not as difficult to return as a speed drive, it is more likely to rebound off the opponent's bat at a very high angle, setting up an easy smash on the follow up. As the loop drive requires a lot of topspin, players generally use their entire body to generate the movement required. Variations in spin and speed adds to effectiveness of this shot. :Chinese players categorized loop-drives in 3 variations based on trajectories: :; 1. The "Loop": (or is called the "ultra-topspin") Produces a more pronounced loopy arc, with a higher trajectory and extreme topspin, but is typically slower. :; 2. The "Rush": Produces a flatter trajectory than a typical "Loop" but carries much stronger topspin than a regular speed-drive. It can be as fast as a speed-drive, and in modern table tennis has come to replace it in virtually all cases. The ball seems to "rush" forward and downward upon hitting the table, and hence the nickname. (Compared to the "kicking" or "jumping" actions resulted from the high-arc "Loop") :; 3. The "Hook": Similar to a regular Loop, but carries a tilted topspin (or is referred as the "top-side" spin), it bounces sideways and downward upon hitting the table. Similar but stronger than the defensive "side-drive" described below. ; Counter drive : Usually a counter attack against drives (normally high loop drives). You have to close the bat and stay close to the ball (try to predict its path). The bat is held closed and near to the ball, which is hit with a short movement "off the bounce" (before reaching the highest point) so that the ball travels faster to the other side. If performed correctly, a well-timed, accurate counter-drive can be as effective as a smash. ; Flip (or Flick in Europe ) : When a player tries to attack a ball that has not bounced beyond the edge of the table, he/she does not have the room to wind up in a ''backswing''. The ball ''may still be attacked'', however, and the resulting shot is called flip because the backswing is compressed into a quick wrist action. A flip is not a single stroke and can resemble either a drive or a loop in its characteristics. What identifies the stroke is instead whether the backswing is compressed into a short wrist flick. Also known as ''払い "harai"'' in Japanese. ; Smash : The offensive trump card in table tennis. A player will typically execute a smash when his or her opponent has returned a ball that bounces too high and/or too close to the net. ''Smashing'' is essentially self-explanatory — large backswing and rapid acceleration imparting as much speed on the ball as possible. The goal of a smash is to get the ball to move so quickly that the opponent simply cannot return it. Because the ball speed is the main aim of this shot, often the spin on the ball is something other than topspin. Sidespin can be used effectively with a smash to alter the ball's trajectory significantly, although most intermediate players will smash the ball with little or no spin. An offensive table-tennis player will think of a rally as a build-up to a winning smash; only a calculated series of smashes can guarantee a point against a good opponent. However, most players will be able to return at most one or two smashes consistently. Provided that the opponent is not too close to the table or too far away from the ball, a smash can be lobbed, chopped, blocked or even counter-looped, albeit with some difficulty. A player who smashes generally works out a series of smashes (and possibly drop-shots) to rush the opponent out of position, put him off balance, or both. Smashers who fail to do this find it difficult to win a point against an excellent defense. Defensive strokes ; Slice: The ''slice'' or is analogous to the ''speed drive'' in some respects — it is very simple, usually used for keeping the point alive and creating offensive opportunities. A ''slice'' resembles a tennis slice: the bat cuts underneath the ball, imparting backspin and causing the ball to float slowly to the other side of the table. While not obvious, a slice can be difficult to attack because the ''backspin'' on the ball causes it to drop toward the table upon striking the opponent's bat – in order to attack a ''slice'', a player must ''lift'' the ball back over the net. Often, the best option is to simply ''slice'' the ball back again, which repeats and results in ''slicing rallies''. Otherwise, another option is to ''flip'' or ''drive'' the ball, only when it is far enough away from the net. Slicing can have its advantages, but it's a shot worth avoiding. Players should only slice when their opponent makes easy mistakes. Offensive players should only slice for variation and not for general rallies. A slice can easily be counter-looped into the opposite corner, if it doesn't drop short enough on the table. The goal of most player's ''slice'' is to make it too short to be attacked upon, rather than attempting to over-spin the opponent. ; Chop : A ''chop'' or ''cut'' is the defensive, backspin counterpart to the offensive ''loop drive''. A ''chop'' is essentially a bigger, heavier ''slice'', taken well back from the table. The bat face points primarily horizontally, perhaps a little bit upward, and the direction of the stroke is ''straight down''. The object of a defensive ''chop'' is to ''match'' the topspin of the opponent's shot with your own bat speed. A good ''chop'' will float nearly horizontally back to the table, in some cases having so much backspin that the ball actually ''rises''. A ''chop'' such as this can be ''extremely'' difficult to return due to the enormous amount of backspin. Sometimes a defensive player can impart no spin on the ball during a ''chop'', or frequently add right- or left-hand spin to the ball. This may further confuse his/her opponent. ''Chops'' are difficult to execute, but are devastating when completed properly because it takes a tremendous amount of ''topspin'' on a ''loop drive'' to return the ball back over the net. ; Block : The ''block'' or ''short'' is a simple shot, barely worthy of being called a "stroke," but nonetheless can be ''devastating'' against an attacking opponent. A ''block'' is executed by simply putting the bat in front of the ball — the ball rebounds back toward the opponent with nearly as much energy as it came in with. This is not as easy as it sounds, because the ball's spin, speed, and location all influence the correct angle of a ''block''. Disregarding the difficulty of a block, it is very possible for an opponent to execute a perfect ''loop'', ''drive'', or ''smash'', only to have the ''blocked'' shot come back at him just as fast. Due to the power involved in offensive strokes, often an opponent simply cannot recover quickly enough, and will be unable to return his own shot ''blocked'' back to him/her. ''Blocks'' almost always produce the same spin as was received, which is nearly always topspin. ; Push-Block : High level players may use what is called ''push block'' or ''active block'', adding speed to the ball (with a small topspin movement). When playing in the ''Penhold Grip'', many players use ''push blocks'' when being pressured on the backhand. Chinese pen-hold players refer it as ''push-block'' as they literally "push" their backhand forward, instead of simply blocking it. ; Side Drive : This spin is alternately used as a defensive and offensive maneuver. The premise of this move is to put a spin on the ball either to the ''right'' or the ''left'' of the bat. The execution of this move is similar to a slice, but to the right or left instead of down. This spin will result in the ball curving to the side but bouncing in the opposite direction when the opponent returns it. Do not attempt a right-side spin (moving your arm to the right when hitting the ball) when too close to the left side of the table, and visa versa. To return, simply execute the same sided spin as your opponent just gave you. ; Lob : The defensive ''lob'' is possibly the most visually-impressive shot in the sport of table tennis, and it is deceptive in its simplicity. To execute a ''lob'', a defensive player first backs off the table 8-10 feet (2.5 to 3 m, advanced players sometimes go 20 feet or 6 m or more); then, the stroke itself consists of simply lifting the ball to an enormous height before it falls back to the opponent's side of the table. A ''lob'' is inherently a creative shot, and can have nearly any kind of spin you can imagine. Talented players use this fact to their advantage in order to control the point. For instance, though the opponent may ''smash'' the ball hard and fast, a good defensive ''lob'' could quite possibly be even ''harder'' to return due to the unpredictability (and heavy amounts) of the spin on the ball. Thus, though backed off the table by tens of feet and apparently running and leaping just to ''reach'' the ball, a good defensive player can still ''win'' the point using good ''lobs''. ;Stop : ''Stop'' (or ''drop shot'') is a high level stroke, used as another variation for close-to-table strokes (like ''harai'' and ''slice''). You have to position the body close to the ball and just let the ball touch the bat (without any hand movement) in a way that the ball stays close to the net with almost no speed and spin and touches the other side of the table more than twice if the opponent doesn't reach it. This stroke should be used when opponents are far from the table and not prepared to get close to the table. This technique is most usually done by pen-holders and players who use long or short pimples. A very deceiving technique, this could result in the opponent failing to reach the ball after misjudging the ''distance'' of the ball. A perfectly executed stroke after a ''topspin sequence'' can win a point. COMPETITION Competitive table tennis is popular in Asia and Europe and has been gaining attention in the United States . The most important international competitions are World Cup, World Championship, the Olympics and the ITTF Pro Tour, as well as continental competitions like European Championship, Euro Top-12, Asian Championship and Asian Games . China continues to dominate most world titles, while other strong teams come from East Asia and Europe including France , Germany , Former Yugoslavia , Hong Kong , Japan , Korea , Singapore , Sweden , and Taiwan . There are also professional competitions at the clubs level. The national league of countries like China, Germany, France, Belgium and Austria are some of the examples being at the highest level. There are also some important international club teams competitions such as the European Champions League {Link without Title} and its former competition, the European Champions Cup, which the top club teams from different European countries compete. There are also competitions in table tennis variants: "Hardbat", in which all competitors use a bat with small pips-out rubber (sponge is not allowed); and "Large ball", where a 44 mm ball is used to decrease the speed. NOTABLE PLAYERS ]] See Also: List of notable table tennis players An international Hall Of Fame exists at the . A ''Grand Slam'' is earned by a player who wins an Olympic Games Gold Medal , World Championship Title , and World Cup of Table Tennis gold medal. GOVERNANCE The body with national bodies responsible for the sport in each country. There are other local authorities applicable as well. USA Table Tennis ( USATT ): national governing body for table tennis in the United States. The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association ( NCTTA ): official governing body for collegiate table tennis in the United States. NOTES AND TRIVIA
EXTERNAL LINKS Governing bodies Table tennis sites
REFERENCES For all aspects of the game refer to the ITTF official web site at http://www.ittf.com/ Specific references Bibliography
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