Things to consider when playing a hard and sweaty game of ping pong: The game has its origins in England as an after-dinner amusement for upper-class Victorians in the 1880s.
In top-flight competition, service is decided by a coin toss.
Competitive table tennis players grip their rackets in a variety of ways.
Players are equipped with a laminated wooden racket covered with rubber on one or two sides depending on the grip of the player.
The table is 2.74 m (9 ft) long, 1.525 m (5 ft) wide, and 76 cm (30 inch) high with a Masonite (a type of hardboard) or similarly manufactured timber, layered with a smooth, low-friction coating.
The international rules specify that the game is played with a light 2.7 gram, 40 mm diameter ball.
The choice of ball color is made according to the table color and its surroundings.
A Chinese player has won the men's World Championship 60% of the time since 1959; in the women's competition, a Chinese player has won all but two of the World Championships since 1971.