How well do you know table tennis?
Table tennis is played by millions and dominated at the top by China. Six questions, from easy to hard.
Did you know?
- Table tennis has been an Olympic sport since the 1988 Seoul Games. Mixed doubles was added at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and Chinese players have won the large majority of Olympic gold medals.
- The table is 2.74 metres long and 1.525 metres wide, and the net is 15.25 centimetres high. These measurements have remained largely unchanged for decades.
- The world's top players can put so much spin on the ball that it rotates more than 100 times per second. Special high-speed cameras are used to study this spin.
Speed, spin and strategy
Table tennis is one of the world's most popular participation sports, played in homes, schools and clubs everywhere. At the top level it is extremely fast: the ball can travel over 100 km/h, and players react in fractions of a second. China has dominated international competitions for decades, winning most Olympic gold medals since the sport joined the Games in 1988.
The science of spin
Spin is central to table tennis. Rubbers on the bat grip the ball, allowing players to add topspin, backspin or sidespin that changes how it bounces and flies. Reading an opponent's spin from the movement of their bat is one of the hardest skills to master.
Different playing styles
Some players attack close to the table with fast loops, while others defend far back, returning heavy backspin chops. Grip styles also vary: the shakehand grip is most common, while the penhold grip, holding the bat like a pen, is traditional in parts of Asia.
China's table tennis system
China treats table tennis almost as a national sport. Promising children are identified early and trained in specialised schools, and competition for places on the national team is extremely fierce. This system has produced many world and Olympic champions.
A sport for all ages
Table tennis is played by people of all ages. It needs little space and improves reflexes, coordination and concentration. Many older players compete in veterans' tournaments, and the sport is often recommended as a fun way to stay active.
The bat and its rubbers
A table tennis bat, often called a racket or paddle, is a wooden blade covered with rubber on each side. Rules require one side to be red and the other black, so opponents can see which rubber is being used. Different rubbers produce different amounts of spin and speed, and top players carefully choose combinations to suit their style.