Thread - Table Tennis and Para-Table Tennis
Often called "ping pong", this term has however been excluded from official terminology. Indeed, the term "ping-pong" is rather used to designate the leisure game, while "table tennis" is used to designate the practice of sport.
Table tennis was born at the end of the 19th century in England. Early games have been played using a champagne cork as a ball, cigar boxes as bats, and books for the net. Over time, the equipment improved, it became a sport, and in 1926 the first world championship was held.
There are different competitions: singles, doubles and mixed. Single matches are played best of seven matches. The first player to 11 points, with a margin of two points, winning every game. Same rules in doubles, except players take turns hitting the ball.
Tag team matches consist of four singles matches, each played best of five matches. Each team consists of 3 players and matches end when a team has won 3 individual matches. In Olympic history, Chinese athletes are the best with 32 gold medals out of 37 awarded.
In 1988, table tennis was added to the Olympic program. Thus, this sport has a longer Paralympic history than its Olympic counterpart. Indeed, para table tennis has been part of the Paralympic Games since 1960. It is the third para sport in terms of the number of athletes.
Played by athletes with various types of disabilities, classified into eleven categories based on their physical and intellectual impairments. The rules are the same as those of table tennis, except that matches are best of 5 sets.
Achuma Benjamin, 22, is a table tennis player. He plays for the University of Ndejje. He has always loved racket games and more particularly individual sports. According to him, individual sports prove your true value because being good depends only on yourself.
In 2019, he made the choice to focus his career on table tennis. Benjamin trains about 3 hours a day. His training schedule then adapts to competitions. The next will take place in September in Tunisia for the 2023 Senior African Continental Championships.
Last year, Achuma Benjamin was ranked 28th in Africa. His goal is to become number one in Africa. He would also like to see table tennis develop in Uganda. For the moment, the major competitions take place abroad. However, a table tennis league is developing in Uganda.
According to Benjamin, more equipment and good marketing would allow the sport to be broadcast throughout the country. Indeed, currently table tennis is mainly developed in the central division. Targeting primary schools would also help develop young talent.
