Martin's Table Tennis Blog

World Championships 2013 - Table Tennis - Womens Doubles Results

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:24:22 GMT

The World Championships 2013. Get the Women's Doubles table tennis results here...

World Table Tennis Championships Medal Winners

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:24:22 GMT

The World Championships first started in 1926. So which players have been World Table Tennis Championships Medal Winners? Find out here.

World Championships 2013 - Table Tennis - Mens Singles Results

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:24:22 GMT

The World Table Tennis Championships 2013. Mens Singles. Get the results here...

World Championships 2013

Sun, 19 May 2013 19:11:26 GMT

Congratulations to Chen Chien-An and Chuang Chih-Yuan (Chinese Taipei), winners of the men's doubles at the 2013 World Championships today.

World Championships 2013

Sun, 19 May 2013 19:04:53 GMT

Congratulations to Li Xiaoxia of China, winner of the women's singles at the 2013 World Championships today.

World TT Championships 2013 - Mens Doubles Table Tennis Results

Sun, 19 May 2013 16:02:20 GMT

The World Table Tennis Championships 2013. Get the Men's Doubles results here...

World Table Tennis Championships 2013 - Womens Singles Results

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:23:45 GMT

The World Table Tennis Championships 2013. Get the Women's Singles results here...

World Championships 2013

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:56:59 GMT

Congratulations to North Korean duo of Kim Hyok Bong and Kim Jong, winners of the mixed doubles at the 2013 World Championships today. They beat the South Korean duo of Lee Sangsu and Park Youngsook by four games to two.

World Championships 2013 - Table Tennis - Mixed Doubles Results

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:29:29 GMT

The World Table Tennis Championships 2013. Mixed Doubles. Get the results here...

ITTF President Election

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:19:39 GMT

Adham Sharara has been re-elected as the ITTF President today at the 2013 ITTF Annual General Meeting in Paris, France. He overcame the challenge from European Table Tennis Union President Stefano BOSI and will add 4 more years to the 14 that he has already served in ITTF's top job. Adham Sharara received 149 votes and Stefano Bosi 53 votes. Adham Sharara said: "I am extremly pleased that as expected, the delegates of the AGM understood the importance of my work and understood very clearly our future plans. The overwhelming support for my team and myself gives us extra motivatiion to try as hard as possible to make sure table tennis is in the top 5 sports in the world."

World Championships 2013

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:25:20 GMT

A record number of table tennis players from every possible corner of the globe have descended onto Paris, France for the LIEBHERR 2013 World Table Tennis Championships. 449 Men and 352 Women (801 in total) representing 127 associations ensures Paris surpasses the record set by last individual championships hosted in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 2011 which saw 678 players from 114 associations battle it out for gold. ITTF President Adham Sharara said: "These impressive numbers are a credit to our strong development program that we have been running for the past 10 years. More people and more countries than ever are now playing table tennis." Antigua and Barbuda are the latest addition to the World Table Tennis Championships family, participating in the event for the first time by entering 2 men into the singles. The World Table Tennis Championships sees the top 64 seeded players getting direct access into the main draw which starts on Wednesday, while the rest of the players fight it out in the qualification rounds to claim the remaining 64 spots in the 128 main knockout draw. The global nature of the event was portrayed by some of the matches that only a table tennis event could provide, such as: Tajikistan v Uganda, Moldova v Madagascar, Turkmenistan v Nepal and many more. For many of the players it's a realization of a lifelong dream to play at a World Table Tennis Championships, especially in the iconic 12,000 seat Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. "I was so excited; it's my first World Championships, my first time in such a big arena", said Thailand's Tamolwan Khekhuan. "I was so nervous." In addition to the record amount of players, 248 journalists from 38 countries and over 200 TV rights holders have been accredited for the 52nd edition of the World Table Tennis Championships making it truly a global spectacle. You can keep up to date with all the results right here.

Disturbing the Conditions of Play

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:04:05 GMT

I was playing the other night and my opponent wore glasses. In the middle of a rally (at quite a crucial point in the game) my opponent's glasses flew

Question about Match Rules

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:21:26 GMT

If, in a group match, the losing player withdraws from the competition, does the winning player forfeit that game? ----- Martin's Reply ----- The

Table Tennis World Ranking

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:58:07 GMT

The table tennis world ranking list - when is it published? How is it compiled? Who are the best table tennis players? Find out here ...

Supporters of this Site

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:45:41 GMT

I started this web site in 2007 in order to promote this fantastic sport of table tennis and provide you with hundreds of pages of information all about table tennis. All the information is completely free of charge to you but, as you can imagine, it takes me many hours to put it all together. Therefore I rely on supporters of this web site to help me with the considerable costs of running it. I am therefore pleased to welcome Concrete Sports as a supporter of this web site, and in return I ask that you visit their web site too, and see what they have to offer.

ITTF President - Election News

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:58:25 GMT

European Table Tennis Union President Stefano Bosi has surprised the table tennis world by announcing that he will challenge Adham Sharara for the position of President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) in May 2013. Adham Sharara, the current President of the ITTF, had already announced that he will seek re-election as President for one last term, having first been elected in 1999. Stefano Bosi was the Italian Association's Chairman from 1990 to 2004 and has been the President of the European Table Tennis Union since 1996. This will be an interesting contest but I think Adham Sharara will win.

New Table Tennis Centre Opens in Russia

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:34:38 GMT

The Russian Table Tennis Centre - claimed to be the largest in Europe - has opened in Orenburg. It holds 36 table tennis tables and up to 960 people a day can play there.

Table Tennis Rules Question About Touching the Table

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:23:07 GMT

My table tennis question relates to the rules about touching the table tennis table. Can you tell me, when playing table tennis and I touch the table,

Need Some Help With Your Table Tennis Skills?

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 15:11:06 GMT

Want to improve your table tennis skills? Well now you can. Request some personalised coaching tips and you'll be on your way to playing better table tennis immediately. All the details are here...

Table Tennis Service Rule Question

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 16:17:46 GMT

I am in doubt who would gain a point if ... 'the service ball bounces once on my court and two times on my opponent's court'. My friends say that as

Table Tennis Officials

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:25:19 GMT

My question is about table tennis officials. Can you please tell me who are the officials in table tennis and their duties? What do the umpires of table

2013 Egypt Open

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:42:21 GMT

2013 ITTF World Tour - Euro Africa Challenger Series

Abdel-Kader Salifou of France won the Men’s Singles title at the ITTF-World Tour Egypt Open in Cairo on Sunday 24th March 2013. Abdel-Kader Salifou, the number 3 seed, beat Spain’s Marc Duran, the number 4 seed 11-7, 7-11, 12-14, 11-3, 11-7, 4-11, 11-5.

ITTF World Tour 2013

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:31:48 GMT

The ITTF World Tour 2013 is expanded to include the Americas, with USA hosting a tournament for the first time.

Table Tennis Racket Question - Can I volley the ball on the side with colour but no rubber?

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 14:16:01 GMT

You mentioned that if you play with a penhold grip and you only use rubber on one side of your blade, you can leave the other side of your blade uncovered,

Table Tennis question about hitting bat on table

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:07:33 GMT

I have a table tennis question for you that I can't find the answer to. When we are playing a game, what happens if we hit the bat on the table? Is

Table Tennis Events 2013 - World Ranking Events Calendar

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:45:11 GMT

Keep up to date with all the top table tennis events. Here's a list of events in 2013 which count for World Ranking points.

Can I convert an indoor table tennis table to an outdoor table tennis table?

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:20:01 GMT

I have a table tennis table (Butterfly 18mm indoor) and I want to convert it to an outdoor table tennis table. What paint is needed? Also what about

Table Tennis Question about Service Rules

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 10:16:07 GMT

When playing table tennis, if you have game point, is it automatically your opponent's serve or can you win a game by serving? Please can you clarify

Question about Table Tennis Paint

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:03:22 GMT

I wish to restore my 15 years old professional grade table tennis table. No one can provide me with an answer. I called Australia Table Tennis Academy,

2016 Olympic Games - Table Tennis Equipment

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:11:42 GMT

The 2016 Olympics Games takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 5 to 21 August 2016. But who are the table tennis equipment suppliers?

Table Tennis Question about Continuous Play & Time Outs

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:08:32 GMT

You mention that it's one of the oldest rules that play should be continuous - apart from within the rules that players may have a 1 minute time out and

Table Tennis Question

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:21:39 GMT

Tom from Fitchburg, Massachusetts, USA asks... Martin, I see players after the end of a point go over to the edge of the table closest to the net and put their racket hand flat on the table. What is the purpose of this?

----- Martin's Reply ----- Tom, The players are wiping the sweat / perspiration from their hands. Because you are now only allowed to use a towel after every 6 points, players use the table surface instead. The ITTF recently said that they were going to try to discourage this, but they do not seem to be doing anything yet. However, for many players it just becomes a habit or another ritual they perform during a match, and many players don't even realise that they're doing it so often, until it's pointed out to them. Also, some players do it in order to slow the game down, as it takes a few moments to wipe your hand and then return to the end of the table ready to serve or receive. The umpires should be stopping players from doing it.

Table Tennis Rules About Shouting

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:07:52 GMT

Is there any table tennis rule which covers when a player calls out or shouts out during a rally? If it is loud enough to possibly have put his opponent

Table Tennis Question about a Good Return

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:08:48 GMT

Is the opponent allowed to have their racket on your side of the table (hit the ball on your side of the net)? This could happen if I were to hit the

Table Tennis Question about the Volley

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:26:17 GMT

I have a question about volleying the ball when playing table tennis. Can a player return the ball before it bounces on their court? What do the rules

Table Tennis Question about Sandpaper Rackets

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 16:06:54 GMT

My question is about table tennis paddles. Is it legal to use a sandpaper covered paddle? Can you tell me what the rules say about sandpaper table tennis

Table Tennis Question about Serving Rules

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:57:42 GMT

My table tennis question relates to what the rules say regarding the service. When you are serving, do you have to send the ball in between your opponent's

ETTA Young Coach of the Year

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:29:54 GMT

Stephen Foster
ETTA (South West Region) Young Coach of the Year The English Table Tennis Association (ETTA) have just announced that Stephen Foster is the winner of the South West Region Young Coach of the Year award. Steve is a talented player and coach and you'll have seen him in action right here on my web site - if you've watched any of my videos on this site. However, if you've missed out on seeing Steve in action, take a look at the section on my web site all about How to Play Table Tennis. It starts here... http://www.allabouttabletennis.com/how-to-play-table-tennis.html You're sure to pick up a few good tips to help your game. The ETTA announcement says: "Here is a summary of the valued work Stephen does in the Dorset area. Alongside Stephen individually coaching a lot of Bournemouth's aspiring Juniors who have soared up the rankings in recent months, he has also made great advances in developing table tennis at Bournemouth University. Here he coaches the University Squad and also runs weekly social sessions. This year the University entered the BUCS league again and look to being promoted up a division at the end of the season. Steve, along with his regular work at Branksome and Bournemouth Sports TTC, also visits clubs to help them develop. These include Harewood, Ringwood, Waterside and Southampton West. Steve has also coached the Bournemouth ETTA development and high performance sessions, YDT and South and South West Regional Training. South West regional coach Paul Whiting and the regional committee would like to congratulate Stephen on winning this award which Stephen fully deserves. It is also pleasing for the future of the region to see a young coach devoting so much of his time to table tennis coaching."

Table Tennis Rules Question - Edge or Side

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:41:13 GMT

I have a table tennis question about the rules of table tennis. What happens if the ball touches the side (not the corner) of the table while returning

Question About Table Tennis Room Height

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:03:22 GMT

I would like to know what would be the minimum height for a home table tennis room. Thank you for all the information in your website. Thanks and please

Table Tennis Question About Stamping

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:53:02 GMT

I thought that there was a rule in table tennis about not stamping when serving. I can't find any mention of this in the rules. Do you know of anything?

Kidston Table Tennis Club

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:32:42 GMT

Kidston Table Tennis Club is located in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, England. It is the original village Working Mens club, which to this day is used to

Ouston Table Tennis Club

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:26:21 GMT

Ouston Table Tennis Club is located in Ouston, County Durham, England. Our full address is: Ouston Community Centre, Iris Crescent, Ouston, County Durham.

Qatar Open 2013

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 15:17:17 GMT

2013 ITTF World Tour - Super Series Ma Long (China) beat Yan An (China) in the Men's Singles final at the 2013 Qatar Open on Sunday 24 February 2013. Ma Long won a high class match in seven exhilarating games 11-9, 11-3, 10-12, 10-12, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9

Qatar Open

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 17:58:01 GMT

2013 ITTF World Tour - Super Series Four Chinese players, Xu Xin, Ma Long, Wang Hao and Yan An all easily reached the semi final stage at the 2013 Qatar Open on Saturday 23 February 2013. None of them were extended in any of their games and in the quarter finals the results were... Xu Xin (China) beat Chuang Chih-Yuan (Chinese Taipei) 4-0 Ma Long (China) beat Dimitrij Ovtcharov (Germany) 4-1 Wang Hao (China) beat Patrick Baum (Germany) 4-0 Yan An (China) defeated Zhang Jike (China) 2-0 retired injured

Stowmarket Table Tennis Club

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 14:15:16 GMT

Stowmarket Table Tennis Club is in Stowmarket in the middle of Suffolk in the UK. We welcome visitors of all standards to our club. Our main venue is

Table Tennis Training and Event Center

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:32:55 GMT

The Table Tennis Training and Event Center is located in West Valley City, just west of Salt Lake City, Utah. We are one of the largest facilities solely

Qatar Open

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:44:05 GMT

2013 ITTF World Tour - Super Series The second Super Series tournament of the year, the Qatar Open, starts today. With a total prize fund of $212,000 and all the top chinese men taking part, it should be a great tournament.

Spokane Table Tennis

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:09:11 GMT

Spokane Table Tennis is located in Spokane, Washington, United States. The address is North Park Racquet Club, 8121 N Division, Spokane, WA 99208. We

Kuwait Open

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:41:04 GMT

2013 ITTF World Tour - Super Series Zhang Jike, seeded 2, beat Ma Long seeded number 3, by a score of 6-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8, 11-4 to win the Men's Singles title at the Kuwait Open on Monday 18 February 2013.