| A
story goes that in 1881 some British Officers carved a ball from a champagne cork
and used cigar box covers to bat it back and forth over a pile of books across
a table. And
so, apparently, the early form of the sport was conceived. Whether or not this
is the true origin, the game was certainly a popular after-dinner amusement in
the 1800s when it was played with similar improvised materials on dining room
tables. It endured a variety of quirky names down the years - Gossima, Flim-Flam,
Whiff-Whaff and the more commonly known Ping Pong. The
name Ping Pong was patented by games manufacturers Parker Bros and this resulted
in the game being renamed Table Tennis to avoid issues with copyright when the
International Table Tennis Foundation was formed in 1926. The
sport became hugely popular throughout the world - except in Russia, where it
was banned for about twenty years until the 1950's because of the threat it was
believed to pose to the eyes. The
sport has been a part of the Olympic Games since 1988 but makes its first appearance
at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in the newly built Tennis
Centre, Sportcity. The
Manchester 2002 Elite Disabled Athletes (EDA) will make their mark also, with
the Open Wheelchair Singles, and their medals will count towards the overall medal
tally for their country. Competition
is expected to be fierce and interest is expected to be high in what is likely
to become one of the most popular additions to the Games.
| Venue: |
| G-Mex |
| Days
Held: | | Throughout |
| List
of Events | | Men:
Singles, Doubles Women:
Singles, Doubles Mixed:
Doubles, Team Event EAD:
Singles | | 
