Live from Tokyo Olympics: Table Tennis at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium Photo Gallery
Table tennis has come a long way from its late 19th century origins as an after-dinner game played by upper-class English families. More than a century later, table tennis has a greater number of recreational players than any other sport and Olympic-level competition is a breathtaking spectacle. Table tennis made its Olympic debut at the Seoul 1988 Games with men’s and women’s singles and doubles. Since Beijing 2008 the competition has consisted of men’s and women’s singles and team events, while the Tokyo 2020 competition will also include a mixed doubles event. Each event operates on a knockout format, with players and teams progressing through the draw until the finals.