| With humble roots beginning in the 12th century, table | | | | paddle in 1902. His designed the paddle out of thin |
| tennis has gone through tremendous changes, in both | | | | wood and he covered the wood with a pebbled |
| equipment and in official rule guidelines, evolving into | | | | rubber. Until 1952, his ingenious design dominated Ping |
| one of the most popular competitive sporting games | | | | Pong paddle sales around the world. |
| played in several different countries. | | | | With the game becoming popular and increase |
| Around 1880, British soldiers stationed abroad would | | | | demand for regulations and serious competition, two |
| often play "Royal Tennis", using cigar lids as paddles, | | | | organizations, "The Ping Pong Association" in the |
| and corks or webbed wrapped devices as a table | | | | United States and "The Table Tennis Association" in |
| tennis ball. The exciting game became very popular | | | | England, were formed in 1903. Popularity and desire to |
| with the soldiers since the game was a quick and | | | | compete on an international level called for the creation |
| highly mobile entertainment vehicle to pass idle time. | | | | of a new organization to regulate international Ping |
| In the Victorian Era, upper class women and men | | | | Pong rules and competition. In 1926, a meeting |
| enthusiastically played table tennis, better known as | | | | between several countries interested in participating |
| "Wiff-Waff" or "Gossima", as an indoor recreational | | | | took place in Berlin and The International Table Tennis |
| game. Using a large surface as a table, the opponents | | | | Federation (ITTF) officially formed, holding the first |
| would hit rounded objects, sometimes a golf ball or ball | | | | official World Championship competition in London in |
| made from string, with another book, passing the "ball" | | | | 1927. Over the years, the ITTF has changed the table |
| over a net erected out of additional propped up books. | | | | tennis surface many times, lowered the net, and |
| "Wiff-Waff" became extremely popular and newly | | | | introduced standardized paddle rules for competition. |
| manufactured materials allowed for the reengineering | | | | Players from Hungary began fiercely competing in |
| of the first official paddle made out simple framing | | | | ITTF competitions and held the World Championship |
| material with parchment paper stretched end to end. | | | | Women's Singles championship from 1926-1931 and |
| Soon after, a celluloid ball was introduced to the game | | | | help the Men's Singles Championship from 1930-1935. |
| and, and a creative J. Jaques & Sons officially | | | | Today, many countries compete in Championship |
| deemed the game "Ping Pong". Around 1901, Jaques | | | | Table Tennis games around the world. Although the |
| & Sons sold the copyrighted the "Ping Pong" | | | | equipment has changed over the years, the |
| game name to the ever so popular United States | | | | enthusiasm, popularity, and serious competition have |
| game manufacturer, Parker Brothers. Hoping to | | | | never truly wavered. For a game to start so humbly |
| increase popularity in the United States, Parker | | | | as a simply way to pass time, to a highly competitive |
| Brothers began marketing Ping Pong sets complete | | | | Olympic Sport game, Table Tennis has truly arose |
| with paddles, balls, and nets. | | | | from little to become a passionate game played on the |
| Searching for a way to add spin to the ping-pong ball, | | | | International level. |
| Englishman E.C. Goode redesigned the ping-pong | | | | |