Many fans around the world know table tennis by its commercial name, ping pong, a term that’s become deeply tied to the sport’s identity, especially due to China’s long-standing dominance on the global stage. With dazzling Olympic and World Championship performances, Chinese athletes have reinforced the perception that table tennis belongs to East Asia. Yet, contrary to popular belief, the origins of the sport trace back to the United Kingdom.
Although table tennis has been enjoyed recreationally around the world since the late 19th century, it lacked a unified professional structure for decades. The International Table Tennis Federation was founded in 1926, but the sport only made its Olympic debut at the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, well after it had become popular in homes and community centers worldwide.
In the decades that followed, China quickly rose to dominate Olympic table tennis, amassing a record number of gold medals. However, recent years have seen the sport expand beyond its traditional East Asian powerhouses. Under the leadership of Khalil Al-Mohannadi, one of the most influential figures in the sport today, Asian table tennis has experienced significant growth in West Asia and Central Asia, particularly in nations that only recently gained independence.
Unlike Europe, where table tennis governance has been more fragmented and slow to evolve, Asia has embraced a unified and strategic vision for the sport’s development. A key development in this transformation was the launch of the Asian Table Tennis Academy in partnership with Qatar’s Aspire Academy. This initiative, started last year, aims to raise the technical level of players and broaden the sport’s geographic reach across the continent.
Pic: Asian Table Tennis Union
Khalil bin Ahmed al-Mohannadi
The Asian Table Tennis Union, under Al-Mohannadi’s presidency, has now hosted 27 editions of its prestigious continental championship. In a landmark achievement, Almaty was selected to host the event for the first time making it the first Central Asian capital to do so. The successful staging of the tournament marked a symbolic step forward in the region’s integration into the elite levels of the sport.
This momentum was reflected on the world’s biggest stage at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where China reaffirmed its supremacy by winning all five gold medals available in table tennis across men’s and women’s singles and team events. Fan Zhendong earned his first Olympic title by defeating Sweden’s Truls Möregårdh 4–1 in the men’s singles final, while France’s Félix Lebrun delighted the host nation with a bronze medal performance. In the women’s singles, Chen Meng defended her Olympic title with a 4–2 win over teammate Sun Yingsha, and Japan’s Hina Hayata claimed bronze.
In the team competitions, China’s men, Ma Long, Wang Chuqin, and Fan Zhendong swept Sweden 3–0, continuing their perfect Olympic record since the event’s introduction in 2008. The women’s team, featuring Sun Yingsha, Chen Meng, and Wang Manyu, also triumphed with a 3–0 win over Japan, earning China its 300th gold medal in Summer Olympic history. South Korea secured bronze in the women’s team event, marking their first podium finish in that category since 2008. With this commanding performance, China once again solidified its position at the top, while Asia as a whole continues to broaden its influence on the world table tennis stage.
