Is ping pong an Olympic sport? If that was your question. Then the answer is yes.
In the early 20th century, table tennis became an Olympic sport. However, it was moved to the Olympics’ non-medal events as a demonstration sport at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. In 1991, the International Table Tennis Federation lobbied for table tennis to be re-added as an Olympic sport. This effort resulted in its return as a medal sport at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.
The International Olympic Committee voted to include table tennis in the 2008 Summer Olympics, but a few IOC members expressed doubt as to whether it merited inclusion.
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Key Takeaways
- Gold medal matches are arranged in ping pong as a prize for the winners.
- Olympic medals are most precious for all ping pong players as a symbol of recognition.
- The Olympic event includes ping pong as an official game.
- From the different types of tournaments, the singles table tennis tournament is one of them.
- Doubles table tennis tournaments are also arranged by different groups.
- Ping pong is considered a common leisure game for family members.
- Nowadays Ping pong has enormous popularity over the globe.
- You need professional table tennis equipment for playing the game.
- Ping pong is often called all-round sport.
Why is ping pong called table tennis in the Olympics?
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the leading international athlete and sporting organization. The IOC’s mission is to promote Olympism and it looks after the interests of elite athletes, as well as those of sport that is not yet professionalized.
In December 2014, the IOC announced that they would be considering whether or not table tennis should be an Olympic sport. In 1975, table tennis had been approved as a competitive event for the Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
However, at a meeting of members of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), the issue was put forward again and on June 27th, 2016.
It was decided that table tennis should be played as a demonstration sport at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The full list of sports approved for 2020 can be found here.
The history of the sport’s name as it is known today dates back to February 20th, 1925. When Jiro Akiba, a Japanese physical education instructor and also an IOC member, proposed using the word ‘table tennis’ in place of ‘the pong game’.
The suggestion was made that ‘Ping Pong’ or ‘Pong’ is an insulting term in some Asian languages, therefore this change occurred to support the IOC’s desire for gender-neutral advertising.
Is ping pong an official sport?
Some people argue that ping pong is an official sport and some people argue that it is not.
I think that ping pong can be a very competitive and demanding activity, but I don’t think you can compare it to the other sports in Olympics, so I would say no. Some people disagree with me though.
For example, in the 2012 Olympics in London, there were a total of 16 medals available for ping pong.
On one hand, it is a demanding activity in terms of physical and mental fitness, but on the other hand, ping pong in its modern form has been around for a little over 100 years [around 120 years].
So, I think you cannot compare it to other sports in terms of physical and mental demands.
Before Table Tennis Was An Olympic Sport – It Was A Parlor Game
Table tennis is a game that can be traced back to the 19th century. It was originally played in England as an indoor pastime among the upper class.
It was first introduced to America by soldiers returning from Europe at the end of World War I. As Americans began taking notice of it, it quickly became popular on college campuses.
It became popular with America’s youth because it could be played on any smooth surface indoors or out, and all you needed to play was a tabletop, a ball, and paddles.
Today there are more than 273 million players worldwide making table tennis one of the world’s most popular sports. Table tennis is an Olympic sport and features in other international sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games and the Pan American Games.
The International Table Tennis Federation, founded in 1926, is the governing body of international table tennis and comprises 73 member associations.
The table tennis rules are decided by this organization and changes to them can only be made at their annual conference which takes place during the Olympic years.
It was first played as an Olympic sport as part of a demonstration event at the 1988 Seoul Games and became a medal Olympic sport in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
It was a much different story prior to that point, however. In fact, table tennis almost didn’t make it into the official Olympic lineup until just before the 2008 Beijing games.
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is in charge of the rules and regulations regarding the sport in world competitions.
But until 2006 they were still not a member of the International Olympic Committee.
In 2006 at their annual conference, the ITTF was given provisional membership by the IOC.
In August 2007, this membership became an official one when Azerbaijani delegate Rovshan Bayramov was chosen to represent the ITTF.
This membership enabled the ITTF to lobby for table tennis inclusion in the 2012 London Olympics, which it succeeded in doing before 2008 even began.
Prior to 1988, there were four world championships held every two years beginning in 1939. The most recent of these championships was called the World Cup and it was held in London, England.
Only 16 participating countries competed at this World Cup. It would be the last world championship prior to the Olympics because in 1989. It was announced that table tennis would be in its own category in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics with 56 nations competing for gold medals.
Since then, the game has become an official Olympic sport. However, there are still the occasional grumblings about table tennis being included. The biggest issue seems to be that it is not a team sport.
It’s also easily played indoors which means no large stadiums are necessary for matches.
For this reason, it has been suggested that perhaps several table tennis matches could take place at once in an arena instead of a single table in a stadium. Only time will tell what the future holds for the Olympic sport of Table Tennis.
Ping-pong is a game for all the family
Ping-pong is one of those games that can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike and it’s perfect for everyone from competitive players to first-timers and beyond. It’s a great way to socialize with friends and it’s fun for all ages.
Today, Ping-pong is played using different types of rackets and either a table tennis net or an adjustable net. It can be played anywhere, indoors or outdoors, and is one of the easiest games to get started playing at home with friends or family members.
Many families enjoy playing Ping-pong together as it’s not only fun, but it’s inexpensive too!
There are plenty of table tennis rackets available for purchase if you’re interested in starting out or just playing with whatever you have at home. Ping-pong tables are also reasonably priced and can be found online or in stores.
The game of table tennis requires skill, but it does not require much strength so both boys and girls can enjoy playing this great game together.
The best part about making Ping-pong a family game is that it can be enjoyed at any time of the day. It’s fun to play at home, with friends or at parties.
Whether you’re looking for something new to do together or just want to have some friendly competition with your kids, then give Ping-pong a try!
Summary of “Is ping pong an Olympic sport?”
Always there is some controversy regarding “is ping pong an Olympic sport or not?”. Ping pong is not an Olympic sport, but it would be cool if it was. It’s a really fun game and I think that more people should try to play!
If everyone who plays ping pong was to vote for it, I think that we could get it into the Olympics. It’s one of the most popular sports in the world so I don’t see why not.
Hi, My name is Benjamin Fink and I am the author of the ping pong reviewed blog. I am a sports person learning and sharing my knowledge with others about ping pong and other sports.
I have been playing ping pong for the last 17 years and teaching people about the game and writing new things about the game through this blog When finding something new. I have participated in serious ping pong tournaments in my country.