Table tennis originated in Britian in the 1800s. The upper-class society played the game as an after dinner activity. This activity was know as “wiff waff” in its beginning. A row of books were to be stood up along the center of the table as a net. The rackets used at this time were simply books as well. These books were used to hit a golf ball back and forth over the net. As the game evolved, cigar box lids were used as paddles and a champagne cork was used for the ball. Eventually, table tennis would evolve into the sport that is seen across the world.
Today, table tennis is the most popular racket sport in the world, with roughly 300 million active members worldwide. The popularity of the game led game manufacturers to sell the equipment commercially. Early rackets were often pieces of parchment stretched upon a frame, and the sound generated in play gave the game its first nicknames of "wiff-waff" 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 British manufacturer J. Jaques & Son Ltd trademarked it in 1901. The name "Ping-Pong" then came to be used for the game played by the rather expensive Jaquess’s equipment, with other manufacturers calling theirs table tennis. A similar situation arose in the United States, where Jaques sold the rights to the "Ping-Pong" name to Parker Brothers.
Table tennis aficionados have now separated the the terms “ping pong” and “table tennis” to pertain to the level of play. “Ping pong” is a term used to describe a beginner game, where two people tap the ball back and forth over the net. “Table tennis” is the name used for the more advanced type of play. This is the highly technical play that upper level players perform by using spins and vairous other technics during a game. Play is fast and demands quick reactions. A skilled player can impart several varieties of spin to the ball, altering its trajectory and limiting an opponent's options in an attempt to gain the advantage, ultimately to win a point.
With that said, this sport is enjoyable for all ages and levels of play.
El Paso gets visited by players from around the world. If you ever get a chance to see some of these foreign players play, you will not be disapointed.
El Paso currently has many players from many countries, including: USA, Germany, Mexico, Russia, China, Korea, Vietnam, Poland, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, and the list keeps growing.