Table tennis

Table tennis is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth to each other with paddles. The game takes place on a hard 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 opposite side. Points are scored when a player fails to return the ball within the rules. 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 to great advantage.

Table tennis originated in England in the 1880s as an after-dinner amusement for upper-class Victorians. A line of books was used as a net, a rounded top of a champagne cork or knot of string as a ball, and a cigar box lid as a paddle.

Table tennis evolved into the modern game in Europe, the United States and Japan. The game is controlled by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), founded in 1926. Since 1988, table tennis is an olympic sport which includes four events: men's singles, women's singles, men's teams, and women's teams.