Why is table tennis so popular? Since you clicked on this article I’m guessing you’re here because you are curious about the popularity of table tennis or ping pong as you might call it if you are in the US. I’m here to shed some light on this topic and hopefully satisfy your curiosities.
Here are the main reasons:
- It’s fun
- Almost Anyone Can Play
- It is in-expensive
- It can be played year-round
- It requires little space to play
- It’s great exercise both mentally and physically
- It’s the most popular sport in the 2nd most populated country in the world
- It’s an Olympic sport
Continue reading if you want to learn more about why ping pong is so popular and where this popularity originated.
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Exactly How Popular is Table Tennis?
It is estimated to be the 6th most popular sport in the entire world by number of fans with an estimated 850 million fans worldwide.
It is estimated to be the 3rd most played sport in the world at an estimated 30 million players.
Worldwide Sports Popularity by Number of Fans
- Football/Soccer – 3.5 billion
- Cricket – 2.5 billion
- Hockey – 2 billion
- Tennis – 1 billion
- Volleyball – 900 million
- Table Tennis – 850 million
- Basketball – 800 million
Worldwide Sports Popularity by Number of Players
- Volleyball – 998 million
- Basketball – 400 million
- Table Tennis – 300 million
- Football/Soccer – 242 million
- Badminton – 200 million
Even though the rankings by numbers of players especially are extremely difficult to calculate, it is still obvious that this sport is extremely popular.
But Why is Ping Pong so Popular?
There are many reasons why ping pong is such a popular sport, but here are what I would consider the most practical reasons:
Almost Anyone Can Play
This sport is accessible to people of all age levels and fitness levels. Seniors and little kids can play the game alike. Although this sport requires high levels of fitness and can be very physically and mentally draining when played at high levels, this is not at all required when playing casually.
In reality, the only physical requirement is that people must be able to hold and move a racket around easily. Many people in wheelchairs, and people with other disabilities have loads of fun playing this sport.
It is In-Expensive
The only piece of equipment you need to play table tennis is a racket and a ball. Yes of course a table is also required which is a fairly expensive piece of equipment, but many schools, parks, and clubs have tables available to the public.
A decently competitive racket can be bought for under $40 in the US and cheap recreational paddles can be bought for almost nothing. It is practically as cheap as buying a football/soccer ball.
Another less obvious factor that makes this sport so cheap to play is the fact that it requires very little space when compared to the other most popular sports. It is much cheaper to construct and maintain a small room and a ping pong table than an entire basketball court for example.
Check out our advice for how to choose a table tennis racket here.
Table Tennis Can be Played Year-Round
The fact that it can be played indoors means that ping pong can be played and practiced comfortably all year, in all climates and seasons.
It Requires Very Little Space to Play
Ping pong can be played in a fairly small room. Even a one bedroom apartment can accommodate a ping pong table and the ping pong table can even double as a dining room/office table.
Once done playing, ping pong tables can also be folded up, wheeled away, and stored. When folded and stored, a table like the Butterfly Easifold 16 Rollaway is only 5 ft wide and 25 in deep.
Otherwise unused spaces such as garages or basements are perfect locations for table tennis matches.
It’s the Most Popular Sport in China
Table tennis is the most popular sport in China and China has the 2nd highest population out of every country in the world. So obviously this means that this sport is played and watched by many people.
Because It’s Fun
Obviously we can’t ignore the fact that table tennis is incredibly fun and exciting to play or watch.
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Why is Ping Pong so Fun?
It can be very physically challenging, and the required hand eye coordination combined with the technical intricacies of the sport also make it extremely mentally challenging.
Even just playing casually with a friend and trying only to keep rallies going for long periods of time can be very fun. Simply concentrating on the repetitive movement and hand-eye coordination is oddly satisfying.
If you’ve never seen high level players perform before you really have no idea what this sport truly can be. The speed, spins, and accuracy that pro level players can put on the ball are truly mesmerizing.
Where is Table Tennis the Most Popular?
Table tennis is most popular in China. China also produces the best players in the world and dominates table tennis in the Olympics.
Out of 35 total players who have won a gold medal in the olympics, 28 of them played for China. There are 16 players who have won 2 or gold medals in the olympics and all of them played for China.
If you look at all of the table tennis Olympic medals throughout the sport’s history here on Wikipedia, the amount of Chinese flags is insane.
Why is Table Tennis so Popular in China/Asia?
Table tennis’s real popularity in China started with Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai declaring table tennis the national sport of China.
They wanted a way to create national fame and respect for China and Mao and Zhou both played ping pong. They figured that dominating a sport would be a great way to do this.
The country was broke and ping pong is a cheap sport to play and is accessible by virtually everyone. No other nations were investing in promoting or producing top players.
In 1959 table tennis became the first sport in which China became a world champion at the world championship in Germany. Since table tennis was first introduced into the Olympics in 1988 China has dominated the sport which has only catapulted its popularity higher in the country.
Why is Ping Pong so Popular in America?
Although table tennis fails to gain popularity in the US as a serious competitive sport like it has in China, It would still argue that it’s very popular in USA. Many people play the sport recreationally and call it “ping pong.”
My friends/neighbors who live across the street from me have a table in their basement. They are a husband and wife who play ping pong for fun almost every day. I’m sure many of you have similar stories as well.
Although table tennis is not nearly as popular as sports like American football, baseball, and basketball, it is still a well known and popular recreational sport.
How Many People Play Ping Pong in America?
According to statista.com, about 16-17 million people play table tennis in the US. According to Statista this is about the same number of people who play baseball.
When Did Ping Pong Become Popular?
Table tennis or ping pong grew in popularity slowly over the last century. The sport’s origins began in England in the mid to late 1800s. Sporting goods manufacturers seemed to have had a big influence on the history of this sport’s popularity.
Here are the key events:
- In 1901 a company named J, Jaques & Son Ltd trademarked the name ping pong and began manufacturing and marketing equipment.
- Around the same time, the celluloid ball was invented and modern style rackets with pimpled rubbers. These innovations made the game much more enjoyable to play and increased it’s popularity.
- At this same time it was popular enough to where tournaments were being organized and an unofficial world championship was held in 1902.
- In 1926 the ITTF, (International Table Tennis Federation) was formed and the first official world championships took place.
- In 1933 the United States Table Tennis Association was formed.
- In the 1950s the “sponge layer” was introduced by a sporting goods manufacturer called S.W. Hancock Ltd. This new invention increases the speed and spin that could be imparted onto the ball making the game more exciting to watch.
- Table tennis was declared the national sport by Chairman Mao in China in the 1950s
- 1988 – Table tennis was first played in the Olympics.
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Now Go and Play Some TT!
Hopefully this article didn’t just teach you about the popularity of this amazing sport, but also inspired you to go play. Whether you are a dedicated competitor, a casual basement player, or maybe you’ve never played before, get out there and have some long, satisfying rallies.
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