Table games are among the most popular past time activities in the world today. If you wish to enjoy an interesting and physically engaging game of one of the many different outdoor games on a smaller scale indoors or outdoors, table games present a worthwhile and realistic option.
In addition to their fun and engaging nature, the most popular games have a rich and varied history that has raised their profile over the years. Here is a brief look at two of today’s most popular tables games, foosball and ping pong.
What Is Ping Pong?
Ping pong, or table tennis as it’s officially referred to, is defined as an indoor game where players bounce a ball by knocking against wooden bats over a table divided by a net. The game is governed by the same rules used in lawn tennis. As the most popular table game in the world, ping pong is the only one that’s featured in the Olympics.
Origins Of Ping Pong
The game of ping pong traces its origins all the way back to the late 1800s. Initially, participation in the game was for the upper class only. By the start of the 20th century, J Jacques and Sons registered the term Ping Pong as a trade name for the game. In England, the Association was formed in 1901; it was however disbanded in 1902. The game’s popularity continued to grow, and by 1922, the Association was revived once more.
As the game’s popularity continued to grow in England, and all over Central Europe, the International Table Tennis Federation was founded in the mid 1920s, after which a world championship tournament was held in London. By the fifties, the game’s popularity had grown to new frontiers, with Asia producing a growing number of Ping-Pong champions.
This calumniated in a Chinese win in the 1980 World Cup. A few years later, in 1988, the game was registered as an Olympic sport. Today, the game’s popularity continues to grow with hundreds of registered national ping pong associations currently in existence. Get started with this sport by buying at table first, here’s a good list.
What Is Foosball?
The term foosball is used to refer a table game in which miniature soccer players mounted on metal rods are used to play a table top version of soccer.
Origins Of Foosball
The game of foosball, or table football as it’s known officially, traces its roots back to the late 1800s; however, the first known patent for a table outfitted with small soccer players mounted on a pole dates back to a patent granted to Harold Searles Thornton in 1923.
It is however worth noting that there are a few other different claims regarding the origins of table soccer. The name foosball was adopted later on as a corrupt version of the German word meaning football.
The first table soccer World Cup event was held in 1979 after the formation of the European Table Soccer Union. The game’s popularity has facilitated its spread to every corner of the world.
Over the years, a variety of materials have been used in building foosball tables in different parts of the world including hardwood, plastic, linoleum and sandblasted glass among others. Using different materials facilitates changes the speed and general feel of game play. Here is a list of the best tables.
