Table tennis appeared at the first games in Rome in 1960, making it one of the original Paralympic sports. However, standing players classified as amputees and les autres have only been included since the 1976 Toronto Games, and athletes with cerebral palsy only since 1980.
The objective of table tennis is to hit the ball over a net and into the opponent's table area so that he/she is unable to hit a successful return. Men and women compete individually (one against one), in doubles, and in team events.
Table tennis competitors play matches of five, seven, or nine sets. The number of sets depends on the competition. Each set is played to 11 points. One player serves with the server changing every two points. The player who wins the most sets (3, 4, or 5, depending on the total number of sets) wins the match. In cases where the game is at a tie, a player must score a two-point difference to win. Paralympic table tennis adheres to the rules of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) with only slight modifications to the serving rules for athletes competing in wheelchairs.
The governing body for table tennis is the IPC through the IPC International Table Tennis Committee. The National Sport Federation is Table Tennis Canada.
Classification
Athletes from all disability groups, except blindness or visual impairment, can compete in table tennis. There are standing and sitting classes.
Table tennis athletes with a physical disability are classified into classes from TT1 to TT10, which are based on ability (functional classification). Classes 1 to 5 are for athletes competing in wheelchairs, while classes 6 to 10 compete standing.
Classification is conducted once the athlete’s range of movement, muscle strength, locomotor restrictions, balance in the wheelchair, and ability to handle the racket have been assessed.
History
Table tennis originated in England where it was popular among upper class Victorians as an after dinner entertainment activity, commonly known then as "wiff-waff." A row of books were stood up along the center of the table as a net, with two more books serving as rackets to continuously hit a golf-ball from one end of the table to the other. Eventually, table tennis evolved into the modern game in Europe and the United States.
Table tennis grew in popularity, with tournaments organized and an unofficial world championship held in 1902. During the early 20th century the game was banned in Russia due to a belief by the rulers at the time that playing the game had an adverse effect on players' eyesight. In 1921, the Table Tennis Association was founded in England, and the International Table Tennis Federation followed in 1926. London hosted the first official world championship in 1927. Table tennis was introduced as an Olympic sport at the Olympics in 1988.
