1. Table Tennis

2. History of Table Tennis Table Tennis or Ping Pong most likely began as a hobby in England towards the end of the 1800s. Dining-room tables and balls of cork made up some of the early equipment that was used. These early pioneers may have referred to their sport as gossima, flim-flam, or ping-pong. Around the turn of the century, the game underwent a few changes in England. One person introduced a celluloid ball to the game, while another added pimpled rubber to the wooden paddle. The recreational game lost some of its popularity until various groups around Europe revived it as "table tennis" in the 1920s. The International Table Tennis Association (ITTF) was formed in 1926. The sport soon spread to Japan and other Asian nations. The Japanese dominated the sport for much of the 50s and 60s, however the Chinese soon closed the gap. China alone dominated the sport for much of the 60s and 70s, but after Table Tennis became an Olympic event in 1988, other nations such as Sweden and South Korea have joined the top ranks.

3. Current ranking 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 10..

6. Sports career: Started playing table tennis at the age of six. Joined the "August 1" team in 1986 and the national team in 1991. Personal best: 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games - 1st singles and doubles At present: Retired in 2002. Became coach of the national men's team and student of HR management in Management School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Appointed leader of the coaching and research group and head coach of the national men's team on June 23, 2003. Liu Guoliang is China's first table tennis player who has made a clean sweep of all titles at major world tournaments including World Championships, World Cup and Olympic Games. That's one of the reasons why he was appointed head coach of the national men's team at the age of 27.

9. Wang Hao is a Chinese table tennis player. He won the silver medal in men's singles at the 2004 Summer Olympics Games. He lost to Korean penhold player Ryu Seung Min. He is now the world's first highest ranked player.Chinesetable tennis2004 Summer OlympicsRyu Seung Min Reverse Backhand Wang uses a Chinese penhold grip. He is a pioneer in the penhold grip with his revolutionary reverse backhand move, which he uses exclusively. He frequently uses this technique to "loop drive" the ball over the net when receiving serves, or simply as a counter driving technique in a rally. Forehand Wang Hao's grip makes him more comfortable using the backhand, therefore the effectiveness of his forehand is compromised. His forehand is not considered powerful but has good accuracy and spin, used more effectively in counter driving than in self initiated attacking.

12. Wang Liqin (born June 18, 1978, Jiangsu, China) is a Chinese table tennis player. Wang Liqin is best known for his tournament play and is thought to have the best forehand drive in the world.He was also ranked number three one in the world, until his rival,Ma Lin, als from China took his place.June 181978JiangsuChinaChinese table tennis He began playing at the age of 6 and was picked for the Chinese men's national squad in 1993 when he was only 15 years old. Wang won the gold medal in doubles at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and the bronze medal in singles at the 2004 Summer Olympics held in Athens, Greece.gold medal2000 Summer OlympicsSydneyAustraliabronze medal2004 Summer OlympicsAthensGreece Style His style is probably best described as a strong forehand and backhand looper. His above average height allows him additional leverage for acceleration and momentum, creating more powerful shots. He has shakehand style.shakehand

15. Ma Lin (February 19, 1980)is a table tennis player born in the Shenyang, Liaoning Province of China. He learned to play table tennis at the age of six and became a member of the provincial team in 1990. In 1994, he joined the Chinese national team. He is considered to have some of the best serves in the world. So far he lost twice in the World championship finals.But he won three World Cup thophies- in 2003, 2004 and 2006. He is one of the best known table tennis players in China and around the world. Style penhold styleFebruary 191980table tennisShenyangLiaoning ProvinceChina penhold style Titles 2002 ITTF Pro Tour Men's Singles Title 2004 Athens Olympic Games - 1st doubles (with Chen Qi) 2006 Mens' World Championship 2nd place 2006 Singapore Open 2006 Men's World Cup

17. Ryu Seung Min is a Korean table tennis player who won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the men's singles competition.Koreantable tennis2004 Summer Olympics Style Ryu Seung Min plays traditional penhold style. Unlike players like Ma Lin and Wang Hao, Ryu does not use the underside of his blade. Ryu relies on his explosive forehand loops and drives to win points.

20. Residence: Höchst, Germany Height: 181cm (5'11") Weight: 73kg (160lbs) Best Rank: #1 Style of Play: Offensive Equipment used: Butterfly Boll Spirit blade, Sriver Rubber Other: Began playing for fun at age 4