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　　TheHistoryofTableTennis

　　Likemanyothersports,tabletennisbeganasamildsocialdiversion.Descending,alongwithlawntennisandbadminton,fromtheancientmedievalgameoftennis.ItwaspopularinEnglandinthesecondhalfofthenineteenthcenturyunderitspresentnameandvarioustradenamessuchasGossimaandWhiff-Whaff.AfterthenamePing-Pong(animitationofthesoundmadebytheballstrikingthetableandthevellumbatsthatwereused)wasintroducedbyJ.Jaques&Son,thegamebecameafashionablecraze.

　　ThegamewaspopularinCentralEuropein1905-10,andevenbeforethisisamodifiedversionhadbeenintroducedtoJapan,whereitlaterspreadtoChinaandKorea.AfteraperiodwhenithaddroppedoutoffavorinEurope,thegamewasrevivedinEnglandandWalesintheearlytwenties.bythattime'Ping-Pong'hadbeenregisteredasatrademark,sotheearliernameoftabletenniswasre-introduced.Nationalassociationswereformedandstandardizationoftherulesbegan,bothinEuropeandtheFarEast.Then,overthenextsixtyyears,tabletennisdevelopedintoamajorworldwidesport,playedbyperhapsthirtymillioncompetitiveplayersandbyuncountablemillionswhoplaylessseriously.However,thegameitselfhasnotchangedinessencesinceitsearliestdays,thoughitisfaster,moresubtleandmoredemandingthanitwasevenonlytwentyyearsago.

　　Ping-pongDiplomacy

　　OneofthefirstpublichintsofimprovedU.S.-ChinarelationscameonApril6,1971,whentheAmericanPing-Pongteam,inJapanforthe31stWorldTableTennisChampionship,receivedasurpriseinvitationfromtheirChinesecolleaguesforanall-expensepaidvisittothePeople'sRepublic.Timemagazinecalledit"Thepingheardroundtheworld."OnApril10,nineplayers,fourofficials,andtwospousessteppedacrossabridgefromHongKongtotheChinesemainland,usheringinaneraof"Ping-Pongdiplomacy."TheywerethefirstgroupofAmericansallowedintoChinasincetheCommunisttakeoverin1949.

　　Invariousping-ponggames,themostfamousistheworldchampionshipcompetition,whichwasheldonceayearatthebeginning,now,itisheldtwiceayeareversince1957.

　　In1904,ashanghaishopkeepercalledWangDaoWU,brought10setsoftabletennistoolshome,thegamewasthereinintroducedtochina.